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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22997980">I'm a Bard, not a Hero</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dynamite522/pseuds/Dynamite522'>Dynamite522</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Abram is a badass, Aizawa is too tired for this, Bakugou is a grump, F/M, OC Characters end up in MHA world, OC Crossover, OC otp - Freeform, Pro Hero Bakugou Katsuki, Pro Hero Uraraka Ochako, Rheia is a useless space-noodle, Uraraka is sunshine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 04:55:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>26,385</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22997980</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dynamite522/pseuds/Dynamite522</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rheia DeMaren Evryali has already gone on her fair share of adventures, thank you very much. She intended to live her, now immortal, life fulfilling her duties as Wanderer and settling into a somewhat domestic affair with her fellow immortal lover, Abram. </p>
<p>Fate, apparently, had other plans, as Rheia finds herself ripped from her world and her lover and dropped in the middle of a super-powered modern world she has no context for whatsoever.</p>
<p>Why was she pulled into this new world? Who or What brought her here? </p>
<p>With help from a grumpy powder keg and a cheerful gravity user, she might manage to find a way back home.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>OC Rheia/OC Abram</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Falling from Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This work is primarily from the POV of my OC character, Rheia. I've been burnt out and writer's blocked on my WIP featuring her, so this fic is purely self-indulgent nonsense to cajole my brain into a writing mood again. </p>
<p>I'll keep it going either until I can work on my WIP again, or until interest peters out. Whichever happens first. &gt;.&gt;</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter One</p>
<p>Falling from Love</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Five years after Rheia had survived imprisonment, torture, death and a potential apocalypse, she thought she deserved a little vacation.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Having been given the Mantle of the Wanderer, Rheia had been adventuring into the unknown places of the world. Beating the track for humans and others to follow, skirting around areas where other races would end up in contention.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now, she was stretched out on her cot, in a carriage that now showed more room on the inside than would be assumed possible. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>There was a certain amount of perk to being a Goddess. Her cloak of wonders was hung on a peg by the door. On the outside, it appeared to be a patchwork of dozens of different colors and fabrics, while the inner lining shone with coins. Copper shells lined the inside, and at any time, Rheia could pluck one to call upon the other Human Gods to aid her in her wandering.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was a handy thing, to be certain.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She could also open invisible doorways at the small shrines humans put at crossroads. If she entered one of the shrines, she could go to any other she wished. If she needed a quick escape, she could vanish into her cloak, and appear back at the last shrine she’d passed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>All in all, it was a very handy way to travel. Her horses, who did not appreciate breaking new paths, were stabled at a clearing near one of the shrines outside Wheldrake. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>With her new friends among the Underground she’d made, she was certain that her horses would be well tended in her absence, and she could always come back in two jumps of the shrines at the max.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She was considering where she’d be called on to wander next, when the door to her carriage opened.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Abram, tall and tanned, with ash-grey eyes and ink-black hair, stepped in. Even with her divinely expanded carriage, he filled the space. A powerful presence wrapped in lean muscles and broad shoulders. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He made her mouth water just by looking at him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Though the weather outside sounded calm and sunny, his cloak was dripping with rain as he removed it to hang on the peg next to hers. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>While Rheia had been considering getting up to face her own day, the weary slant of Abram’s shoulders had her thinking differently.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shifting on the cot to make a little more room for him, Rheia raised a hand and twitched her fingers to invite him over. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ash-grey eyes brightened, and though they hadn’t spoken a word, there was an ocean of meaning in those few gestures. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Abram barely took a moment to remove the heavy oiled boots before he made the few steps over to the cot and collapsed over it and Rheia. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The action surprised a few giggles from her, as Abram settled with his face pressed to the side of her neck. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Long day?” Rheia asked, content with being pinned for now, and stroked a hand through the slightly damp ink-black hair. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The muttered response was entirely muffled by her shoulder, but she sniffled another giggle at the feel of his breath on her neck.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finally he rolled onto his side, back against the carriage wall so Rheia could get up if she wanted to.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It hadn’t been long after their famous show-down with Morgan that Rheia and Abram had both discovered their… ascension. Neither really <em> needed </em> rest or food, but still existing in the mortal lands made the temptation all too irresistible. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Busying herself in filling the kettle and setting it on her, now larger, stove to heat, Rheia considered the other side of temptation that she’d enjoyed as a mortal ever since she first left the Storm Vipers to travel on her own. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>And the King of that temptation was currently stretched out on her cot, dozing in comfort from whatever task he’d been paid to do lately.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The kettle didn’t take longer than a few seconds to heat, which pleased Rheia. Was it selfish to use one of her little miracle coins to have a stove that heated quick as lightning? Perhaps, but Rheia never claimed to be a woman of divine virtues. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Maybe that was problematic now that she was <em> actually </em> a ‘divine’ being. She pushed the thought away, choosing to focus on a much more entertaining question.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>How long should she let Abram sleep before she seduced him?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A cat-like smile curved her lips as Rheia glanced over at Abram, letting her eyes roam from the tousled inky black hair, down the broad muscled shoulders that made her mouth water, to the undeniably adorable butt currently covered in well-fitting slacks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Abram hadn’t changed at all from before his ‘ascension’, but Rheia had. The strength of her Gorgon blood was now more apparent, as her skin blended into a swirl of iridescent scales starting from her neck and covering her body. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The scars Derrick had given her during her escape from Auberhaven were still evident, but she no longer felt as much shame over them as she used to. The swirls of iridescent scales engulfed the scars, making them almost glitter when the sun hit them just right.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was interesting to find beauty in what had previously been only an ugly reminder of horrible traumas.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Much of which had to do with the man, now a God, stretched out on her cot. To look at him, you’d never guess the mercenary was <em> The </em> Mercenary Kyarae, the God whose blessing and deeds could be bought with the right amount of coin and watched over all who gave their service to the blades for silver.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It still made her giggle to think of Abram by his ‘pretentious show-pony name’. He’d given up that name when he became a Mercenary so many years before. </p>
<p><br/>By a twist of fate, which Abram argued was actually the machinations of Metrix, that forgotten name had been given to the God of Mercenaries.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Removing the kettle from the stove, Rheia poured the hot water into a thick, fired clay mug and added the mix of herbs and leaves for her tea.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This particular blend was sweet with the flavors of summer and early autumn berries. Still she added three large spoonfuls of honey to her mug once the leaves had steeped and removed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cooling the beverage with a few long puffs of breath, Rheia took the first sip, and closed her eyes in pleasure.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She’d give him at least until the end of her mug of tea. Then… she would see.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The cat-like grin had yet to leave her lips as she plotted and planned.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her tea was half-gone when Abram turned his head to look at her, amusement and interest lighting his pale grey eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re thinking awfully loud over there. Should I be concerned?”<br/><br/></p>
<p>“Terrified.” Rheia answered soberly, though her lips couldn’t help but quirk at the edges as she fought not to smile.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It brought a huff of laughter to his lips, though, and Rheia just leaned against her built-in counter and let the cat-like grin return.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What’s got you grinning like a cat full of cream.”<br/><br/></p>
<p>Rheia took a long sip of her tea, already nearly gone, before she answered.</p>
<p>“Well, I’d say ‘you’, but I fear such a statement would go to your head.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now lust joined amusement in his eyes as he shifted on the cot so he was laying on his back. Arms raising to cushion behind his head, the very image of confidence.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Which one?” He asked, a smirk curving one side of his lips so Rheia wanted to sink her teeth into it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Running her tongue along her teeth, she ensured that the fangs she’d gained as part of her ascension were safely retracted. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She considered herself an adventurous lover, but she wasn’t quite <em> that </em> adventurous.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>One, maybe two more sips, and she’d be done with her mug of tea. Taking the first of those sips, Rheia returned his smirk. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Which one do you <em> want </em> it to be?” She rebutted, eyes sparkling with amusement and lust. The dance was just familiar enough now that they both knew the steps. Even when one of them added a new twist every now and then.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Abram wasn’t going to give her what she wanted so easily, though. “Dealer’s choice.” He said, enjoying drawing out this little tête-à-tête before reaping his reward. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Well, that tore it. Draining her mug and setting it aside, Rheia started forward, hips swaying in a serpentine dance as she moved.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His gaze dropped from her face to watch the sway of her hips. He loved the way she moved, and Rheia took full advantage of this fact as she adjusted her stride to give even more swaying grace to her gait.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>One more step and she’d be climbing on the cot with him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Something pinged against her senses. Not a prayer, which would whisper in her ear like ghosts. Nor was it like the starlight and ice voice she attributed to the Formless One. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>No, whatever this sense was, it was entirely alien to the world she knew.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As she took the last step up to the cot, looking down at Abram with all the excitement of a new lover, the floor opened beneath her. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black and deep purple light swallowed her whole, as she fell away from her carriage, her lover, and all the world she knew.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Abram’s curse barely reached her ears before the ring of black and purple above her started to close. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Abram!” She screamed, hands stretched above her in a desperate attempt to grab hold of something, anything.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The last thing she saw before the ring closed was Abram leaning over the edge of the cot, reaching towards her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Then the ring closed, and she was falling through a black and purple void. No wind, no sound, no light.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Whether she was falling for years or seconds, she couldn’t tell, but the next thing she knew a beam of light opened below her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With the light came wind, sending her skirts fluttering around her, the fabric of her blouse rippling against her skin.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Then she was falling from blackness into blinding sunlight. The wind increased tenfold, roaring in her ears. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Spinning madly in mid-air as she flailed around, Rheia caught the sight of ocean off in the distance, and directly below her a rapidly approaching ground.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Higher above the ground than she’d ever been, Rheia couldn’t help the screams of terror. Her magic flared to life with her panic, flooding her veins like a river. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The effect was a scream that boomed like thunder, and sent her spiraling down even faster.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia continued to flail, unable to find the grace and control of her movements that she normally had when flipping through the air. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Normally, she was much closer to the <em> ground </em>, and not who knows how many miles above it!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She didn’t even have the presence of mind to notice how oddly shiny the ground was, as she somersaulted and flipped through the air in a desperate attempt to find anything she could cling to. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia had always known she was useless in deep water. Now she knew that she was apparently equally useless in free-fall.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her lungs were running out of air. Gasping in a deep breath, she fought not to scream again as the ground was hurtling towards her at an alarming rate. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She wouldn’t die. Probably. Maybe. She still had her magic, so she<em> probably </em> wouldn’t die.</p>
<p><br/>Fuck if she knew anything anymore.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At the least, it was going to hurt like Underfire, and that was more than enough to have the screams start again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Something boomed in the distance, but she was too busy spinning and flailing to be able to tell from what direction. Behind her? In front of her? To her left? </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The accurate answer was all of the above.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She only caught a blur out of the corner of her eye as she spun madly, something rocketing towards her in a fury of explosions before a gloved hand reached out to grab her ankle. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia jerked on instinct, but the snarl in a completely unknown language had her going still. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The light touch of a soft hand on the small of her back rippled across her, as her downward fall was suddenly halted.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Instead of falling, she was floating. The hand on her ankle tugged and she found herself turning right-side up. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Two people, also floating, were now grabbing hold of her shoulders. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The first one scowled at her from beneath a black mask covering his eyes. Pale blonde hair spiked out in a sunburst. He appeared to be human, but his eyes, she noticed with surprise, were vol-fae scarlet. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>His partner was in shades of pink that the most delicate jungle orchid would be jealous of, light brown hair peaked out from beneath a helmet of some sort, though Rheia had never seen a face plate so transparent. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The pink-dressed one beamed at her reassuringly, and also spoke that unknown language.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia looked between the two of them, confused and scared.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em> Who are you?” </em> She asked, though her voice was slightly hoarse from screaming. Already she could feel her magic begin to heal it, so she’d be back to normal in a few moments. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her two saviors glanced at each other. The sunburst man with the expression of a rain cloud made a ‘tch’ kind of sound, which needed no language to understand. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia soon found that the three of them were floating slowly to the ground. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Balanced by her saviors, Rheia was able to get a better and more coherent look at the ground beneath them, and goggled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Vast smooth roads made of some material she didn’t recognize at this distance. Buildings that reached higher than the ancient trees in the jungle sprawled in all directions. Precious, expensive glass was everywhere.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> I don’t know where I wandered to, but this is surely the farthest anyone has gone from Vrevell. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It took a few minutes for them to touch down on the roof of one of those towering buildings. When her feet were on solid ground, or the closest thing to it, once more, Rheia collapsed to her knees in relief.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The sunburst-haired man with an expression the furthest thing from sunny, hauled her back up by her arm. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was Rheia’s turn to snarl, and jerked her arm from his grasp.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em> Don’t touch me like that!” </em>She snapped, though she figured her words were as nonsensical to them as theirs were to her. Her fangs swung down on instinct to add to her snarl. At least she didn’t lisp when they were out anymore.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The pink-garbed one smacked a hand on the grumpy man’s muscled shoulder. If Rheia weren’t quite content with her Mercenary back home… </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her face drained of all color as the realization hit her. Craning her head up at the sky, she tried to spot the black circle of void she’d fallen through. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>There was nothing. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em> Abram.” </em>The word fell from her lips as her heart froze in a sense of loneliness she hadn’t felt in years. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>True, she and Abram spent a good amount of time on their own tasks and duties, and often did not see each other for weeks or even months on end. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But being so effectively cut off from him was almost as distressing as falling into a completely different world.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The pink-garbed one said more nonsense words in a soothing tone. Though Rheia was now nearly in her 40th cycle, she looked barely at the end of her twenties in human years, and the pair appeared to be of a similar age.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finally the blonde-haired man seemed to lose his patience, which he didn’t appear to have a grand supply in the first place.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He snapped something out at her, but Rheia could only look at him in utter confusion as before. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The pink-garbed girl had more patience and sense to her, and pointed to herself. <br/>“Uravity, Uraraka.” She said the word slowly. The language might be nonsense, but names were names.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Then she pointed to the fuming blonde. “Ground Zero, Bakugou.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After that, she gestured to Rheia.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Well, multiple names weren't the sole property of Vrevell, it would seem. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia took a deep breath to calm herself, then pointed to herself as the pink-garbed one, Uravity, had done. <br/>“Rheia DeMaren Evryali.” She also spoke slowly, to ensure they got the pronunciation as best as they could.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She had the feeling that they would be even worse at pronouncing Tomarbin than Kai was, and his accent was <em> awful </em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Uravity gestured to a door that opened to their rooftop landing, and held out a hand for Rheia’s. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Well, they had saved her if not from death, then certainly from an unpleasant ‘<em> splat’ </em>  landing in this new world. Rheia took the offered hand to go where they took her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rheia gets her first run-in with the League of Villains, and Aizawa gets a story with more questions than answers.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter Two</p>
<p>Confusion and Conversation</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They wound their way through a series of stairs and corridors that had Rheia’s mind flashing back to Fellowin’s dungeon. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Instead of stone walls and torches, the walls were made of some hard light grey substance that felt like roughened cobbles. She had to reach out and touch one of the walls just to be certain, and the grumpy blonde shot her a look of irritated confusion. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Confusion was definitely the byword for the situation. Lights glowed from impossibly small orbs set high in the ceiling and walls. </p>
<p>The corridor was close, and made her feel claustrophobic from being pressed on either side from her saviors.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It felt like they walked forever, and Rheia had to continually rub her hands around her wrists just to ensure there were no shackles holding her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The close corridors, the double ‘guards’, the fear and confusion. It all felt too much like her walk through Fellowin’s Manor to the Lord’s private study. </p>
<p><br/>A place of confinement, torture and death. Contrasted by the trappings of a wealthy noble’s luxuries.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia reached for the flask that would normally hang at her waist to take a sip of tea, calm her nerves. </p>
<p>She hadn’t belted it on yet. Nor did she have her purse or anything but the clothes she’d fallen asleep in last night. Twitching her jaw, she fidgeted her fangs down and back, down and back. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finally they reached the ground floor, and passed through a set of doors to an open room. The walls were almost entirely glass, letting in blazing sunlight. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia blinked rapidly to have her eyes adjust, then she was being guided out of the building and onto the street.</p>
<p>Uravity and Ground Zero were in a heated discussion, as they had been throughout their walk from the roof. Ground Zero finally threw his gloved hands in the air in frustration, while Uravity grinned in triumph. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Some things needed no language to understand, Rheia figured, and took a little amusement from the byplay.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Feeling like a lonely duckling, Rheia followed behind the pair as they moved off to their right from the building. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The street was as crowded as a festival square, but as far as Rheia could tell, no festival was taking place. There was no music, and though there were plenty of smells, they didn’t strike her as the “festival scents” of food and perfumes. The blonde looked back at her occasionally, and barked an order at her. It didn’t take a native to know at least part of the order was a curse.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Feeling overwhelmed, isolated, and confused did not put Rheia in a terribly good temper either. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>After the third time he barked at her, Rheia’s patience snapped.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Stopping dead still, she crossed her arms and glared at the blonde. Uravity stopped as Ground Zero did, and looked back between her partner and Rheia, looking exasperated and apologetic.</p>
<p>The pink-garbed Uravity began to close the distance between herself and Rheia, tone soothing and hands held out to placate. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia was considering how forgiving she felt, when someone stepped up behind her. The crowd had been flowing around them with only mild irritation, so Rheia didn’t think much of it until a hand closed around the back of her neck. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Alarm flashed on Uravity’s face the same instance that Ground Zero let out an explosive bout of curses.</p>
<p>The man held a hand out to them, and gestured to Rheia. Her saviors froze, looking concerned and combative.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The grip tightened on her neck, and Rheia was more than done with it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Swinging her elbow back, she felt it connect with his solar plexus. The grunting gasp of breath was a moment of satisfaction, until she felt the grip shift, adding the last finger to the grasp. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pain like her skin had turned to burning sand, crumbling away, spread over her neck. <br/><br/>Her magic, never far from the surface, roared to life. This time the damage was rapid enough that the magic had no opportunity to run rampant through her system. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Flesh healed almost as fast as it was destroyed. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>There was an instant, just one, as Rheia froze from the pain of it, so immense she couldn't even take the breath to scream. Then she moved. Grabbing the arm she was being held by, she lunged forward. Bending at the waist to have her would-be captor sailing over her shoulder. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The man, she thought it was a man, crashed to the ground with a grunt. No longer dealing with a hostage situation, Uravity and Ground Zero bound forward. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bright blue flames shot between them and Rheia’s attacker. Shocked, Rheia looked for the source and saw a man that looked half-burnt and stitched together. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> Gruesome </em>, crossed her mind, almost in sympathy, before something else caught her eye. A being that seemed to be made of black and purple smoke, like the mysterious portal she’d fallen through. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black and purple mist opened beneath the white-haired man, and he disappeared like falling into deep water.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em> Wait!” </em>Rheia called out, reaching for the mist. But it disappeared just as she was about to touch it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>More black and purple mist opened beside the being and the fire-thrower. They, too, disappeared before Ground Zero or Uravity could stop them. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The magic in Rheia’s blood was finished healing her neck, and she touched a hand to the newly grown skin. The feeling of smooth skin blending into scales was still odd, even after 5 years of this new appearance. Even so, she met Uravity and Ground Zero’s curious and weary gazes. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>There were so many questions unable to be asked or answered. If she had a moment’s quiet to <em> think, </em>she might be able to figure out a way around the language barrier. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The crowd shifted, more wildly garbed people came and set up a barricade around her, Uravity and Ground Zero. Some inspected the area with odd tools, and some device that flashed a bright light at odd intervals.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She was dragged off to a quiet corner, where she, Uravity and Ground Zero were met with an exhausted looking black-haired man. He had an interesting grey scarf that must have been a mile long, for how many times it was wrapped around his shoulders. His eyes were dark and serious, with scars slicing across his jaw and forehead.</p>
<p>Rheia tried to follow their conversation, but still had no clue what they said. When she called on her magic to try to interpret, the black-haired man’s eyes glowed red and he stared her down. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her magic froze in her blood, blocked by that gaze. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was quite infuriating.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Even in the few moments <em> before </em> he blocked her magic, she wasn’t having any success translating their words into something intelligible. An idea started to form in Rheia’s mind, but she would need Mr. Red-Glare to stop blocking her magic every time she tried to use it first.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When the interrogation turned to her, Rheia was irritated, tired, and hungry. The use of magic always increased her appetite, and she hadn’t had any breakfast yet. Only that one mug of tea. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Every time she tried to call on her magic so they might be able to understand each other, the red glare returned and cut it off like a knife through thread.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Greatly annoyed, Rheia took to parroting back their words. She didn’t need magic for that, and she’d been listening to them talk long enough that she could impersonate their voices with dead-on accuracy. Catching the smirk on Ground Zero’s face as she mimicked the black-haired man bolstered her mood a little, so did seeing Uravity bring her knuckle to her mouth to bite down on it to keep from laughing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Well, at least she could amuse <em> someone </em> here. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Turning her attention back to the black-haired man, she raised an eyebrow in exasperated inquiry. <em> Are you going to let me try my skills or not? </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>He stared at her, then finally nodded. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>At last!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia called up her magic, and gestured at Uravity. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The young woman looked confused at first, then asked a question. Rheia concentrated on it, but the words still didn’t make any sense to her. Tapping a finger on her chin in thought, Rheia considered the other idea that had been brewing in her head. <br/><br/>Since she had no idea what language <em> they </em> spoke, nor they any notion of hers, she’d need something to bind them together to bridge the gap.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She had an idea on how to do that, but she doubted they’d let her try, and explaining would be difficult.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Through crude gestures, she had Uravity and Ground Zero step forward. She tried to explain her idea through gestures, of mixing some of her blood and theirs for her magic to work through and make interpretation possible. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Their confused, and in Ground Zero’s case, irritated, expressions told her that the gestures weren’t working. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She didn’t have a knife, so making an incision was out of the question. While she had no doubt that <em> someone </em> had to have one, she thought the chances that Mr. Red-glare would let her have one or use it were slim to none.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, she forgot to be careful about her fangs and accidentally bit down on it. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Magic rose to heal it almost immediately, but the pain had reminded her. She was so stupid! She didn’t need a knife.</p>
<p>But this would be even harder to get permission for. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Clicking her fingers, she called attention back to herself, as the three costumed people had returned to talking among themselves. Three gazes returned to her. One weary and cynical, one curious and open, and one annoyed and arrogant.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia gestured to them as a whole, then brought her hand up to her mouth and pierced the back of her hand with one fang. Uravity gave an alarmed cry, but Rheia held a hand up to her to keep her still. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pointing at the dribble of blood from her hand, she then gestured to them again emphatically. </p>
<p><br/><em> This will only work if I have blood from both of us. </em> She thought. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Speaking slowly, she pointed at the blood. </p>
<p><br/>“ <em> Blood, me.” </em> She pointed to herself. <em> “Blood, you.” </em> She gestured to the three strangers as a whole again. <br/><br/>Then she swirled her finger around like a spoon in a mixing bowl. “ <em> Mix.”  </em></p>
<p><br/>After all that, she made a ‘beak’ with her hand again and flapped it about to signify talking. “ <em> Talk.” </em> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Uravity looked nervously between Ground Zero and Mr. Red-glare, then stepped forward and offered her hand. Rheia beamed, and took her hand. This part was going to be a bit distasteful, but she didn’t have any other choice. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She pricked the girl’s hand with one fang. Just enough to let a bead of blood form. Then she swiped the blood from the girls hand and mixed it with her own on the back of her left hand. </p>
<p>Letting her magic flow into the mixed blood, she tried again. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Can you understand me?” She asked, and saw the shocked expression on all their faces. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes.” Mr. Red-glare said, eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Now, who the hell are you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Success!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That question is easy.” She said, and saw the relief in their faces as the magic continued to translate. “I am Rheia DeMaren Evryali. The question I think will be harder to answer, is who the fuck are <em> you </em> and where in all the Eternal Lands am I?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ground Zero snorted out a laugh at that. “Told ya’, Teach, fell right out of the sky. Through some freaky portal.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Uravity was rubbing a hand over the small wound. Rheia winced, then held out a hand to her. <br/>“May I?” She asked. It was awkward, but she didn’t want to leave the girl bleeding. She knew from unfortunate experience that if she didn’t do something, the wound would resist any healing efforts. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Uravity hesitated. <br/>“You don’t need to bite again, do you?” She asked, a little nervously. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ground Zero glowered at her at the reminder, and Rheia picked up on an extra thread between them than just partners. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It made her heart yearn for Abram, but she gave Uravity a soft smile. “No, and I hope I don’t have to do that ever again.” She grimaced. “I hate the taste of blood.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shyly, Uravity offered her hand again, and Rheia brought it to her lips. Flicking out her tongue, she licked away the small amount of venom that had dripped from her fang into the puncture. The venom wouldn’t hurt her, but it would have kept the wound open on the girl’s hand if she didn’t lick it away. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia remembered finding out that tidbit the hard way when even Abram’s impressive healing ability and multiple washes with herbs and water hadn’t done away with the wound or the venom from her fangs.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>You slip up <em> once </em> in passion….</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Um.” Uravity said, unnerved. Rheia immediately dropped her hand and stepped back.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Apologies.” She said, and almost looked sheepish. “I tried to avoid letting any venom out, but you can’t hold back every drop.” She tapped a finger at the part of her lip that hid her fangs. “My saliva removes the venom, but normal water and cleansing solutions would not.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A faint blush rose to her cheeks. “It’s embarrassing.” She admitted, which seemed to put the girl at ease. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s ok. At least we can understand each other now! How…?” She asked, then Rheia tapped her finger to the mixed spot of blood on the back of her hand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Blood meets blood to let mind meet mind. My magic will let our words be understood, even though the speech is unchanged.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Then she grinned, accidentally flashing the fangs she normally tried to hide. “I’m honestly glad that worked. I’m not sure what could have been done, otherwise.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mr. Red-glare’s eyes never left her face.</p>
<p>“While this is all very fascinating, I’m afraid we’ll have to continue this conversation at HeadQuarters. There’s some questions we still need to ask you, Mrs. Rheia.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her stomach growled, and the twinge of hunger pain only served to further shorten her temper.</p>
<p>"I don't know what answers you expect me to have. I've spent all of thirty minutes here, and half of that was in a panicked free-fall."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Still, now that they could communicate in something more than pointing and gestures, it was easier to guide her towards HeadQuarters. Mr. Red-glare led the way to one of those mysterious vehicles and opened a door. Before he pulled on the handle, Rheia assumed the shell of the vehicle was all of a piece.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She wanted to inspect it, but the glare returned. Not the red glare that would end her magic, but a fierce and weary look that hurried her into the metal carriage.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Uravity and Ground Zero followed her inside. It was cramped inside, only room to slide along seats made of the plushest leather she had ever seen. When she sat, she sank into the cushioned leather as if it were a cloud. The door closed, and Rheia felt her chest tighten with nerves over the close quarters. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mr. Red-glare entered from a door at the front, and got behind a wheel of some kind. Rheia leaned forward, fascinated, until Ground Zero barked at her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Sit down and get your seatbelt on!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She turned to him in confusion. "What?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Then she saw Uravity take a strange strap from beside her and pull it across herself. There was an odd gadget at her hips that made the clicking sound of a lock as the metal clasp was inserted. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I don't like straps." She said, rubbing a hand over her wrist. Even in another world and more than five years after, she could still sometimes feel the cold press of iron around her wrists, her neck.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ground Zero glared at her, scarlet eyes assessing. </p>
<p>"It's the law. Everyone wears one."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Breath catching in her throat, Rheia looked beside her for the strap. It wasn't metal, or even leather. Pulling it across her, she inserted the clasp as she saw Uravity do. The click of the inner lock made her heart stutter. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I can take it off when we stop, correct?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Uravity heard the nerves in her voice, and reached out a hand to pat over hers.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Of course. It's just a safety measure. Nothing to worry about."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia shifted, trying to ignore the press of the strap across her chest. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Then hurry." She said, and turned her head to avoid looking at it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ground Zero scoffed and muttered something. His voice was low, but with her magic active to translate their words, she heard the words more clearly than she would have otherwise. Something about weakness. It pricked at her pride enough to distract from the loathful feeling of the binding strap.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Don't speak to me of weakness, boy. I'm grateful to you and Uravity, but gratitude will not cover offenses for long."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mr. Red-glare flicked his eyes to hers in a small mirror that hung at the front of the vehicle.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Would that be a threat, Mrs. Rheia?" He asked, tone neutral.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was easier to look forward, meet his eyes in the mirror. She hardly felt the metal carriage move, it was so smooth. The rumble of some kind of mechanism she didn't recognize vibrated through the seats. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Considering her answer, Rheia fought to keep her voice steady.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I don't make threats anymore. Only warnings. It's been a gods-damned day, and it's not more than three hours old. I don't know where I am, I'm alone and starving, and now I'm breaking a promise to myself never to be bound again."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Uravity's expression betrayed the shock and sympathy she felt, while Ground Zero scowled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"It's just a seatbelt. It's not a big deal."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Uravity kicked his shin, but he only sneered at her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia turned her gaze to his, the emerald shine in hers intensified as she drew on more power. She'd be ravenous at the end of it, but she considered it worth it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I don't argue with my body and mind about their reactions anymore, I just deal with them. I won't bore you with the details you won't believe, only talk to me of weakness after you wake screaming from nightmares and the memory of blood and fear in your throat."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She felt the warning flicker in her magic that the red glare was about to go full force. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Speaking for the older man, Rheia repeated.</p>
<p>"I don't make threats. Only warnings. I don't like feeling bound, and will not suffer it long or quietly."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Silence fell over the carriage, and their trip was blessedly short. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Mr. Red-glare stopped the vehicle through some trick she didn't quite catch, Rheia was the first to reach for the small gadget at her side. Fumbling for a moment with the unfamiliar device, but visibly relaxed when the button pressed and the strap sprung back and away from her. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Uravity stayed near the door while Rheia climbed out. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The building looked like a grand box made of glass. She would have likened it to a castle, but it lacked the juts and towers, nooks and crannies that gave a building its personality in her opinion. Again she was guided through halls and rooms until she was instructed to sit in a metal chair at a metal table. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She disliked the cold steel table immensely, and refused to so much as touch it. As she sat down, carefully pushing her chair back so she wouldn’t touch the steel table, her stomach growled loudly. Looking towards Mr. Red-glare, she still hadn’t learned his name, Rheia asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“May I have some food? I haven’t eaten since last night, and it’s been an exciting morning.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her request was not denied, but neither did anyone appear to act with intention of acting on it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We’ll be with you in a moment. Please wait here.” Mr. Red-glare told her, before closing the door.</p>
<p>Leaving her alone, with the steel table, and the glass mirrored wall across the room. </p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Interrogation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rheia faces questions from Aizawa and All Might, and gives warnings about her own strange physiology.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter Three</p><p>Interrogation</p><p>She was in the bowels of a strange, extravagant building, closed in a room that reeked of fear-sweat and something she didn’t recognize. Something rich and bitter.</p><p> </p><p>The chair was well made, she could admit, but not built for comfort. The hard planes of metal dug into her spine as she leaned as far away from the metal table as she could.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t the same, wasn’t the same as the one Fellowin had chained her to and forced his nasty little tests on her. Even knowing that, she didn’t want the feel of metal on her skin.</p><p> </p><p>Was it only a few months ago that she had celebrated being able to wear her bronze and silver bangles on her wrists again? </p><p> </p><p>She’d come so far from the trauma of Auberhaven, but it was a journey that was never fully over. Unconsciously rocking in the chair to comfort herself, Rheia longed for Abram. Closed in this room, in this fortress, in this strange world, she wanted his arms around her. Wanted the scent of his skin to block out the old fear that permeated the room. </p><p> </p><p>Gods, she just wanted him. Rheia refused to call it a <em> need </em>. Needs were chains and she still wouldn’t abide them.</p><p> </p><p>But she could indulge her <em> wants </em> , that was fine. <br/><br/>And right now, she wanted more than anything to be back in her carriage, in the arms of her lover. Maybe after feasting on a grand lunch. Abram was surprisingly handy with skillet and flame, and could craft delicacies that would have her drooling before they even left the pan.</p><p> </p><p>Daydreaming about fulfilling her various appetites, her magic steadily draining away under use of the translation, Rheia almost didn’t hear the approach of footsteps before the door opened again.</p><p> </p><p>Brought back to reality, Rheia was reminded of her hunger gnawing at her stomach like a plague of insects. </p><p> </p><p>Mr. Red-glare returned, and behind him entered a… walking skeleton? Rheia watched in mild concern as the sunken eyes of the blonde man met hers as they sat in the chairs across from her.</p><p> </p><p>“Mrs. Rheia.” Mr. Red-glare began, “This is my colleague, Mr. Toshinori.” </p><p> </p><p>Rheia’s gaze flicked between the two, then spoke. <br/><br/>“Pleasure to meet you, I’m sure. Now, Mr. Red-glare,” She paused as Mr. Toshinori snorted out a laugh at her name for the black haired exhausted man. A small smile curved her lips as she continued. “I’m still waiting for any amount of food, if you don’t mind.”</p><p> </p><p>The black-haired man glared at her as if he wanted to scold her. She knew she looked about an age with his students. She had heard Ground Zero call him “teach”, so he had to be an instructor of some sort.</p><p> </p><p>“Aizawa.” He corrected her, and there was a thread of steel in his tone.</p><p> </p><p>She was about to answer, when her stomach gave another furious growl, the muscles cramping as her system sought anything to feed itself on. Even going as far as her own stomach-lining.</p><p> </p><p>Hunching over, Rheia tried to keep a note of pleading out of her voice. “Food? Please?”</p><p> </p><p>Mr. Toshinori looked concerned, though his expression was so sunken it was difficult to tell.</p><p> </p><p>“Aizawa…” He muttered, and glanced over at his companion. “Maybe…”<br/><br/></p><p>But Mr. Aizawa cut him off. “We’ll be sure to get you some food once we’re done with our questions. Surely you can wait that long?”<br/><br/></p><p>Rheia didn’t know that she could. Or, rather, that it would be wise for her to wait that long. If her system continued to devour itself, it would tap into a power she still couldn’t fully control. </p><p> </p><p>She’d gotten better at channeling the God's powers, especially since she had ascended. The amount of power she could safely channel had increased, but when compared to the infinite well of the Mother Serpent, she was still hardly more than a cup trying to hold an ocean.</p><p> </p><p>Still, the look on his face told her she wouldn’t get anywhere through demands. </p><p> </p><p>“Fine, but hurry.” She said, curling her arms around her stomach in an attempt to soothe away the gnawing hunger.</p><p> </p><p>“First, I suppose we should ask. Where did you come from?” He asked, eyes watching her with a weary curiosity. </p><p> </p><p>Rheia snorted out a laugh. “I doubt you’ll believe me.” </p><p> </p><p>“Try us.” Mr. Aizawa offered, his expression never shifting. Mr. Toshinori watched and listened in curiosity.</p><p> </p><p>Taking a deep breath, Rheia tried to lay out what she knew as plainly and quickly as she could.</p><p> </p><p>“I came from the land of Vrevell, I was in my carriage about to… attend to my morning duties when I fell through some sort of void. The other side of this void opened entirely too far above the ground in <em> this </em> world, whatever it is. I would have been a very agonized flat-cake if it weren’t for Ground Zero and Uravity.”</p><p> </p><p>Aizawa looked at her gravely. “Not a dead flat-cake?” He asked. </p><p> </p><p>Rheia grimaced. “Well, it’s unlikely, but I’d rather not test the theory. Death could not hold me in <em> my </em> world, but I’d rather not test the issue on whether that would hold true for <em> this </em> world.”</p><p> </p><p>Aizawa didn’t react to that, but Mr. Toshinori had to cough to hide another laugh.</p><p> </p><p>“You have a quirk.” This wasn’t a question, but a statement. </p><p> </p><p>Rheia tilted her head, “Quirk? How do you mean?”</p><p> </p><p>He gestured to her neck. “You recovered from Tomura Shigaraki’s Decay touch, and you have managed to translate our words… Just what is your quirk?”</p><p> </p><p>Tilting her head the other way, Rheia considered. <br/>“I have <em> power. </em> Mr. Aizawa. Blessings from the Mother that allowed me to become like a god. This.” She waved a hand between them to indicate the translation. “Is an external use of my power. The healing.” Rheia put a hand to her neck to rub at the newly healed flesh. “Is an internal use.”</p><p> </p><p>Mr. Aizawa leaned forward, pressing the question further. “So your quirk is sound?”</p><p> </p><p>Rheia furrowed her brow, her concentration faltering as her hunger dug sharp claws through her stomach.</p><p> </p><p>“Not a quirk. It’s just...power…” </p><p> </p><p>If she didn’t get food and <em> soon </em>, she didn’t know how long she could keep up the magic. Having the translation going for almost an hour now, not to mention the healing from earlier and her panicked use of magic during her fall, the reserves within her were falling fast.</p><p> </p><p>“Please,” She begged. “I need food.”</p><p> </p><p>Mr. Toshinori looked between her and Mr. Aizawa. “We’re almost done.” He said, trying to soothe her, but Rheia felt the approaching edge of her control. </p><p>The thin barrier she had built in her soul between her abilities and the raging flood of the Mother Serpent’s power was dissolving as they spoke.</p><p> </p><p>Her blood filled with a burning buzz, like the warning drone of an impending swarm of insects.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s too late,” Rheia panted out, “Run.” Curling in on herself as the damn broke. The burning buzz became a furious roar, her veins bursting like stream banks overwhelmed by a sudden storm. They healed an instant later, but it didn’t stop the pain. </p><p> </p><p>Clamping a hand over her mouth, she keened. Muscles twitched as they broke and healed on the same beat, and blood trickled from the corners of her eyes, from her nose.</p><p> </p><p>Her eyes glowed a brilliant emerald green, tinting the room before her a sickly hue. The magic radiated out from her, a furious hum that started to scour the chair and table around her.</p><p> </p><p>Mr. Aizawa’s eyes blazed red, and the hum stopped, but not the flood in her veins. With no outlet, the magic raged all the more furiously inside Rheia’s body. </p><p> </p><p>When her lungs dissolved and reformed, Rheia gasped and coughed, tasting the copper tang of blood in her throat as it dripped from between her fingers.</p><p> </p><p>The suppressing gaze stayed on her, but she couldn’t focus on anything but breathing whenever she could.</p><p> </p><p>Her own keening moan of pain was cut off as her vocal chords were not excluded from the magic’s rampage.</p><p> </p><p>Aizawa blinked, and the raging hum expanded out from her like a shock wave. </p><p> </p><p>“<b>Run</b>!” Rheia ordered, bleeding off some of the magic to make it compulsory. The two men jumped up from their chairs, but despite the urgency she had forced into the word, that was as far as they went. </p><p> </p><p>“What’s happening?” Aizawa demanded, about to glare the magic back inside her skin. The bleeding had slowed when the magic had somewhere to go outside of herself. </p><p> </p><p>Desperately, Rheia tried to stem the tide, closing the connection between her and her patron Goddess more and more until it was barely a thread. </p><p> </p><p>Once the incoming magic was stemmed, she just needed to use up some of it so it would stop overflowing from her. </p><p> </p><p>Focusing on the chair beneath her, Rheia found its secret vibration, the hum that all things held at their cores. </p><p> </p><p>Pouring the excess magic into that vibration, the chair turned from furniture to a puddle of molten steel and slag in seconds. </p><p> </p><p>Rheia couldn’t even control her limbs enough to move, and instead lay in the molten metal, feeling her skin burn and heal constantly until the metal cooled.</p><p> </p><p>The extra healing helped bleed off more of the magic, until the amount held within her was back to her regular stores. As if she had never used any that day. </p><p> </p><p>It was, as Abram called it, the Emergency Flood. If she was pressed to use her magic beyond what her body could replenish, the connection between her and the Gods would open to its maximum capacity. </p><p> </p><p>Quivering, muscles cramping from their forced damage and repair, Rheia lay curled on her side. </p><p> </p><p>The hum had ebbed away into silence, only broken by her own ragged breathing, interrupted by the occasional cough to clear the last remnants of blood out of her throat. </p><p> </p><p>Thundering footsteps approached, and Rheia cringed away. Guards, it seemed, sounded the same no matter what world they belonged in. </p><p> </p><p>Despite Mr. Aizawa seeming to be the one in charge, it was Mr. Toshinori who held his hands up to the guards when they burst through the door. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s alright.” He said, then lifted one hand to rub at the back of his head. “If someone could fetch some tea and some food for our guest…” He said, then glanced at Mr. Aizawa.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes.” The black-haired man said, still looking down behind the table where Rhiea lay, muscles still twitching and cramping from the overwhelming magic that had raged through them. “And a new chair.”</p><p> </p><p>The guards filed out, and Rheia watched with nervous relief. Five years was not quite enough for her to lose her uneasiness around guardsmen. Their uniforms may have been different, even their weapons, but their threat remained the same.</p><p> </p><p>Aizawa sat back down at his chair, as one of the guards returned with a new metal chair that folded out so Rheia could sit. </p><p> </p><p>It was even more uncomfortable than the last one, but since she had melted that one, she couldn’t blame them for bringing what was undoubtedly a cheaper option.</p><p>Gingerly, she hauled herself up and into the chair. Her body thrummed with aches and pains from the flood. </p><p> </p><p>With her increased capacity, the flooding had become less commonplace. Which only made it occurrences all the more jarring to her system when they did happen. How did she manage to shrug off a flood lasting weeks?</p><p> </p><p>This world seemed to have less shadow in it, she supposed that might be the reason. Without the presence of the Formless One in her mind and body, the Mother Serpent’s power could run all the more unchecked.</p><p> </p><p>The two men watched her intently, but Rheia only wiped the back of her hand across her chin and inspected the smear of blood.</p><p> </p><p>She was tired, and her appetite had only temporarily abated. At least it was only the ‘normal’ appetite of having forgone breakfast for several hours later than usual.</p><p> </p><p>One of the guards returned with a tray carrying a bottle of deep brown liquid Rheia dearly hoped was a good strong tea, a bottle of water, a plate of some sort of sandwich, a strange looking package the color of rubies, and a large but otherwise ordinary looking apple. </p><p> </p><p>The tray was set down in front of her, then the guard backed off swiftly. Rheia thought she must look quite the sight. Face covered in blood and sitting beside the molten remains of her original chair. </p><p> </p><p>Mr. Toshinori offered a cloth handkerchief, which Rheia took with an appreciative smile. Taking the bottle of water, Rheia tugged at its strange stopper. </p><p> </p><p>It didn’t budge. </p><p> </p><p>Silently, Mr. Aizawa stood, and took the bottle from her for a moment, then twisted the stopper until an odd cracking sound was heard, then he was able to unscrew the top, and hand the opened bottle back to her. </p><p> </p><p>Rheia inspected the top of the bottle for a moment, and saw the screw-like threads covering the top. As she whetted the handkerchief to wash the blood from her face and hand, she took the cap back, still careful not to touch the metal table.</p><p> </p><p>What, by the Scales, was wrong with a good solid wood, anyway?</p><p> </p><p>Setting the handkerchief down after cleaning the blood from her face and neck, Rheia reached for what she assumed was tea. Even though her magic was allowing her to understand their speech and them to understand hers, she couldn’t read the odd script.</p><p>Learning from what she saw Mr. Aizawa do, she twisted the cap of this bottle, and heard the crack that told her it could be opened. </p><p> </p><p>Unscrewing the cap, she took a tentative sip. It was tea, with a twist of lemon to its flavor. Not quite as sweet as she would have liked, but unless she prepared it herself, it rarely was. </p><p> </p><p>After her testing sip, Rheia took three long gulps from the bottle, draining almost half of it. The tea helped calm her nerves, and she took a deep breath. </p><p> </p><p>As she reached for the sandwich, she held her arms so they wouldn’t brush against the table. It had been months since her last full flash-back, and she did not want to face another one. </p><p> </p><p>Not here, among strangers, with her magic so recently rioting against her control.</p><p> </p><p>Mr. Toshinori watched as the sandwich was demolished in seconds. “Why do you avoid the table? You have no trouble sitting on the chair, and they’re the same material.”</p><p> </p><p>Rheia glanced down at the table, and for a moment saw the cold iron one Fellowin kept in his study before she wrecked it. Cold black iron carved with the form of a human, channels running through the depths of the carving to allow fluids to drain away. </p><p> </p><p>Blinking furiously, Rheia banished the vision from her mind before she answered.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s a story that has no place here. A battle long since over.”</p><p> </p><p>Mr. Aizawa leaned forward. “It might help us to know more about you. It could help us figure out why you’re here at all.”</p><p> </p><p>Rheia stared down at the now empty plate. </p><p>“It’s not a story I tell easily. Could I have more tea?” She asked, and motioned to the almost empty tea bottle. </p><p> </p><p>Mr. Aizawa nodded, and glanced behind him at the mirror. </p><p> </p><p>A few moments later, another guard opened the door to bring in a few more bottles of tea.</p><p> </p><p>Rheia glanced between the guard and the mirror. </p><p> </p><p>“Is it a scrying mirror? That they can see us through it?”</p><p> </p><p>Mr. Aizawa glanced at her, eyes scrutinizing her for lunacy. “Something of the sort.” He answered before nodding a dismissal to the guard.</p><p> </p><p>Mr. Toshinori took up the conversation. “If you wouldn’t mind telling us the story, we’d like to hear it.”</p><p> </p><p>Rheia closed her eyes, and leaned her head back as if she could tip the unpleasant thoughts out of her mind.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m a Bard. The best in all of Vrevell.” She smiled a little at that. “If I hadn’t missed the audition, I might even have the Crown’s crest to prove it. The story started five cycles ago, when I… remembered something disturbing.”</p><p> </p><p>So she took them through the story. Her journey to Auberhaven on her quest for truth. Which she found at Auberhaven’s northern edge, but also agreed to a job.</p><p> </p><p>“The young lord of Auberhaven offered me a proposition. To perform for his birthday celebration, and in return I’d receive five gold crowns, coins. Enough to pay my food and expenses for nearly a season.”</p><p> </p><p>Rheia sighed, “It seemed like the stuff of dreams. One night’s work for four months of leisure? For all that I thought myself so worldly, already more than thirty cycles...”</p><p> </p><p>Mr. Aizawa raised a hand to pause her story. Rheia glanced at him in irritation, but waited for him to ask his question.</p><p> </p><p>“By cycles I take it that you mean years? I beg your pardon Mrs. Rheia, but if you were more than  thirty years old five years ago… What I mean is that you don’t at all look your age.”</p><p> </p><p>Even though she knew perfectly well why that was, it was still flattering to hear it. Rheia couldn’t help but preen a little at the compliment. </p><p> </p><p>“Thank you. A Tomarbin never looks as old as they ought to.” She <em> could </em> give the whole explanation if she wanted to, but that was an even longer story than the one he’d interrupted. “May I continue?”</p><p> </p><p>Aizawa lowered his hand and nodded for her to continue.</p><p> </p><p>“Though I thought myself so worldly already, at just more than thirty cycles, I was still a fool. Dreams that happen whilst awake are almost never as sweet as they seem.”</p><p> </p><p>Her smile faded as the memories of what happened next filled her mind. Fighting not to live the experience again, but only to tell it as a narrator, Rheia continued.</p><p> </p><p>“A wiser woman would have seen the sickness in Auberhaven. A sickness that only comes from its Lords, and left. I saw the signs, but did not know their cause. Not until it was too late. I performed for the young Derrick, his guests. Gave the best of songs and dance as I could. At the end of the evening, I sought out the young Lord for my payment.”</p><p> </p><p>Closing her eyes, Rheia tried to picture Abram next to her as she told the next part of the story.</p><p> </p><p>“He guided me to his private chambers, and counted out slightly more than half of my payment. Indicating that my duties were not yet complete. I had entertained his guests, but my entertainment of <em> him </em> had yet to begin.”</p><p> </p><p>Oh, she wanted Abram there. Wanted his hand in hers to ground her to the present. His steady, seen-it-all presence to banish her fears. </p><p> </p><p>“I don’t perform so...intimate a dance as that. Not for pay, certainly, and I did not want the young lords hands on me, or anything else of his. So I apologized for the misunderstanding and tried to take my pay with thanks. He thought to stop me. To intimidate me into compliance.”</p><p> </p><p>Rheia opened her eyes again, and smiled just a little wickedly. “My compliance is not so easily won. I managed to free myself and run, honest payment in hand. He gave chase, and called for his guards to halt me. Called me a <em> thief. </em>” The insult and fury brought a flush to her cheeks anew, and Rheia had to take a moment to calm herself.</p><p> </p><p>“His father came to pass judgement. He would not hear my tale, and only said that calling any Fellowin a liar was treason in itself. I was chained. I was whipped. And Derrick still had his way with my body.”</p><p> </p><p>Her fangs dropped down, wanting to bite into the long-dead Lords, as she had longed to do so then.</p><p> </p><p>“But that was not the end of my torment.”</p><p> </p><p>Mr. Aizawa spoke up again. “You don’t need to say any more.” </p><p> </p><p>Rheia met his eyes, her own fierce and golden green. “Yes, I do. For what I’ve told thus far is only half the tale.”</p><p> </p><p>Mr. Toshinori frowned, the action pulling at the skin of his skeletal face. “Only half?”<br/><br/></p><p>Rheia took a deep breath. </p><p> </p><p>“And not even the worst of it, if you can believe it. The High Lord had children in his dungeon, a distant blood-kin of my people and two human children. It was for their sake that Derrick took his pleasures from my body, and willed myself to survive what came to follow.”</p><p> </p><p>Rheia cracked open the next bottle of tea and again nearly drained it in one long drink. </p><p> </p><p>“The High Lord, Nicholas Fellowin, bade me brought to his private study. A secret cell held inside, hidden behind a false wall. Like a cave, it was, and I was kept there until he readied his tests.”</p><p> </p><p>She’d been speaking for nearly fifteen minutes already, and so she shortened the rest of the tale. Both to spare her own memories, and to spare the details for any beyond the glass with weaker stomachs.</p><p> </p><p>“I won’t give you all the details of what I endured there, but there was a table. Iron, and carved to let a body lay flat upon it in relative comfort. Channels dug into the base of the depressions so that any nasty liquids could be washed and drained away.”</p><p> </p><p>Idly, Rheia tapped a nail on the steel table in front of her, the only contact she’d allow herself to make. </p><p> </p><p>“To be brief, He had me kept in that cell and chained to that table by turns. While on that table, he would test my...abilities. My affinities. By acid, by fire, and ice and suffocation.” </p><p> </p><p>Taking another long drink, Rheia finished the second bottle of tea.</p><p> </p><p>“He was disappointed at first, as I died upon that cursed table. Though I did not remain dead. My body healed, and after a time, my soul returned to it. And so I lived to be tested again. And again and again.”</p><p> </p><p>Mr. Toshinori, who had not looked to be the healthiest man to begin with, paled. <br/>“And yet you escaped?” <br/><br/>The bottle crumpled beneath her hand with much less effort than she expected. Still, the crunch of it gave her satisfaction. <br/><br/>“I did. One time when I returned from death, I found myself stronger than before. My hearing sharper. It was then that I found the secret hum of metal and poured my strength into it. I escaped that lair of evil and took those trapped children with me. It was not the end of my story, but it is the end of the reason I can not abide...tables.” She tapped the metal table again. “At least, not metal ones. Nor bindings.”</p><p> </p><p>Meeting each of their eyes in turn, and then turning her attention to her unseen audience beyond the mirror, Rheia spoke again.</p><p> </p><p>“Even in my own world, I have done the impossible. Faced fates that made the bravest hearts quail, seen things no mortal has ever seen. Does this help answer any of your questions?”<br/><br/>Mr. Aizawa stared at the table between them, deep in thought. “I don’t know. It’s something to think about.” <br/><br/>Rheia nodded, weary of the scrutiny purely on herself. <br/><br/>“Well, I have a question of my own to ask. Today, the man who tried to use me as a hostage against Uravity and Ground Zero. There was some...thing with him. A being made of black and purple mist, glowing yellow eyes.”</p><p> </p><p>Aizawa raised his gaze to meet hers. “Yes? What about him?”</p><p> </p><p>Rheia tapped gold painted nails on the crumpled tea bottle. “The portals I assume he created. They looked much the same as the one I fell through to come from Vrevell to here. Perhaps he is the key to sending me home.”</p><p> </p><p>Now, as her memories and tales were laid bare and the full weight of the day’s excitement settled on her shoulders, Rheia allowed herself one weary tear to slide down her cheek.</p><p> </p><p>“I would like to go home.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Settling In?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rheia gets settled into a temporary apartment, and Midnight does her best to ease her mind.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter Four</p>
<p>Settling In?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Aizawa stared at her for a moment or two, then gave a sigh of resignation.</p>
<p>“That may be difficult. There will be more questions we must answer before it may be possible. In the meantime, we have to find a place to put you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The wording couldn’t have been worse. </p>
<p>Rheia recoiled from the table, a snarl on her lips as the notion of being ‘<em> kept’ </em> rankled to her very core.</p>
<p>“I am not a dog to be leashed!” Her voice was almost shrill with indignation. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was Mr. Toshinori who again held up his hands to placate her.</p>
<p>“Mrs. Rheia, we have no intention of confining you. Mr. Aizawa was merely referring to keeping you from harm, as the villains may try some vengeance against you now.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Without righteous indignation to fuel her, Rheia slumped in her chair. The entire day had been more taxing than a three week trek though mid-winter snow.</p>
<p>“Where would you ask me to stay?” She questioned, phrasing it carefully. They could <em> ask </em> her to stay, and whether she did or not would be her choice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She’d discovered just how much her own choice meant to her, and how easy it was to be overridden if one allowed it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia had been very careful after Fellowin to follow her own choices. Though even that had been dicey, as clever minds could often find a way to manipulate the circumstances so that the choice came down to only one option.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The two men shared a glance, as if to silently confirm their own thoughts. </p>
<p>“We have a series of apartments that our younger Heroes stay in. They are unlisted and well protected. If the League of Villains attempt to find out who you are or where you are, they will find it that much harder.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia nodded, then tilted her head in question.</p>
<p>“They’re not in this building, are they?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mr. Toshinori frowned, but shook his head. “No, this is our HeadQuarters. It’s only used for professional and business purposes.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The idea of living apart from one’s business surprised Rheia. This world had already proved to be immensely wealthy compared to Vrevell. The sheer amount of glass and metal used in the everyday surroundings were a testament to it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sensing that the questions were over, Rheia stood. The odd draft against her side made her look down. <br/><br/>Half of her blouse on her right side had been singed away. Frowning, Rheia ran a finger over the charred edge of her blouse, not especially caring that it showed nearly her entire midriff up to just shy of her chest. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>That, thankfully, had been a bit of her ‘old’ self that she had reclaimed from Fellowin’s torments. Her body was fully her own again, and she felt no shame in its coverings, or lack thereof.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mr. Toshinori seemed a bit embarrassed by it, but Mr. Aizawa looked as if he were too tired to care. Granted, he had held that appearance since she’d first laid eyes on him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The door opened again, and Rheia jerked her head up in alarm before relaxing minorly. A woman with long black hair stepped through. She was well curved, and with even and attractive features. <br/><br/>Though everyone’s clothes were strange to Rheia, she recognized a well-tailored outfit. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The woman held a bundle of fabric in her hands.</p>
<p>“I thought our guest might appreciate a change of clothes.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia nodded while silently mourning the loss of the blouse. Taking the bundle, Rheia unfolded it to see a long dress.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Speculatively, she thought it was not entirely different from one of her more formal dresses. Sleeves that went bare inches past the shoulders and a long skirt. The fabric itself had a good weight to it, reminding Rheia of heavy silk. Such a dress would have cost her close to half a gold crown. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nodding graciously to the woman, Rheia thanked her. “I’ve only been here a scant few hours, and I’ve seen more wealth than half the Cities combined.” She commented, and set the dress aside to begin taking off her charred blouse.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Wait!” Mr. Toshinori said in a panic. “Let’s get you to a room you can change in.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia paused, and turned a mildly baffled look to the skeleton-thin man. “Is there something wrong with this room?” She asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The woman chuckled a little. <br/><br/>“One without so many eyes on it might be prudent.” <br/><br/></p>
<p>Shaking her head in bemusement, Rheia re-fastened the ties she had tugged loose.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I suppose.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As the woman held out a hand to greet and guide her, she introduced herself as Mrs. Kayama.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia was much more at ease with her, as her own people were Matriarchal, it was easier to follow suggestions from another woman.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As Mrs. Kayama guided her through the halls, Rheia fell into step with the woman, responding easily to the casual questions.</p>
<p>“You must be tired from all the excitement from today.” Mrs. Kayama commented, finally gesturing to a door that held the oddest chamber pot Rheia had ever seen. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia nodded, rolling her shoulders as if to shrug off some of the tension. “It has been the oddest day I’ve had in a long while. As much as I would love to sleep for a couple days, what I want most is a good strong drink.” </p>
<p>Pausing, she considered that notion further. “Or five.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Kayama laughed, an appealing sound that eased Rheia’s nerves even more than tea. This was not only a place of questions and tension, if this woman could laugh so freely.</p>
<p>“Well, if you feel up to it later, I have a standing date with some of my colleagues tonight for a Karaoke night.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At Rheia’s questioning look, Mrs. Kayama clarified. “Drinks, dancing, and prompted singing.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The description piqued Rheia’s interest and enthusiasm. It had been at least a week since she’d stopped in at a tavern to liven up the place. Far too long, in her opinion. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Entering the small room, Rheia changed quickly. At least her chest wrap didn’t get singed. She didn’t know what this world’s equivalent would be, and hoped she wouldn’t stay long enough to have to find out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Having changed, she left the room and found Mrs. Kayama was waiting for her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It suits you!” She said with a beaming smile. The soft blue fabric swung to Rheia’s knees. Though it could not have been intentionally tailored to her, the fabric had an elasticity to it that helped it cling to curves and give a bounce to the hem.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s a fascinating fabric, I’ll admit.” Rheia said, rubbing the hem of one of the sleeves between her thumb and forefinger.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Far more at ease with the chatter over clothes and fashion, Rheia found herself guided back towards the outer doors of the fortress. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ground Zero and Uravity were waiting by the doors. This time Ground Zero stepped up to the front of the strange metal vehicle while Rheia and Uravity took the passenger seats.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Horseless carriages seemed a distant dream of a dream in Vrevell, and here this world had masses of them. People and vehicles swarming the roads like ants. It made Rheia feel slightly glad not to have to navigate such a world alone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Though the seatbelts still made Rheia feel uneasy, the drive was even shorter than the first one, and soon the carriage stopped in front of another massive building. Dozens of windows were spaced over the side, all at equal intervals. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She’d found distraction in their short journey, in staring through the glass at the city around them. Swirling currents of people, towering buildings taller than she had ever seen. It was like living in a chasm, and couldn’t quite understand how the buildings didn’t fold in on themselves. How the hubris of their construction didn’t anger some god or another to be struck down by calamity.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The pair of costumed saviors had changed into what Rheia supposed would be plain clothes. At least, they matched more with the kinds of outfits she saw the masses of others wearing out on the streets. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>As Uravity guided Rheia up three sets of stairs, <em> three! </em>, she chattered about the other ‘Heroes’ that lived in the apartment building. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“After some… incidents over the last few years a lot of the Hero Agencies took up the idea of on-site dorms like U.A. implemented during my years there. It makes a lot of sense. If a Villain tries to make a personal attack on any one of us, they have to account for all the other Heros that would get pulled in by nature of being neighbors.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia didn’t have a clue what she was talking about, but listened attentively and made humming noises to keep her end of the conversation going.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At the landing of the third floor, they entered a hallway lined with doors at similarly spaced intervals to the windows. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Uravity showed Rheia a key that held a tag. It was oddly disconcerting to see that she at least recognized this script as numbers. <em> Why does arithmetic, of all things, have to be universal across worlds? </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>About half-way down the hall on their right, they came to a door that bore the same numbers as the key.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Mr. Aizawa told us that this would be your apartment while you’re here. Um. I’m just three doors down there,” Uravity pointed further down the hall, “on the left. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. Ok?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia took the key when it was offered, and nodded. “Thank you. I didn’t get a chance to say this earlier, but I owe you and Ground Zero a great deal.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Uravity blushed lightly and beamed as she stretched an arm behind her head nervously. </p>
<p>“Oh, it’s no problem. That’s our job as Pro Heros, after all.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, I would like to thank you properly at some point. If I had my purse, I’d offer to buy you both a drink.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Uravity laughed at that, and again waved the offer away. “There’s no need, but a drink would be fun! It’s not often that you get to say you got to save someone from another world!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia had to smile about that. “I’m glad it’s just as odd for you as it was to be saved in another world.”</p>
<p>Turning to the door, Rheia unlocked it and entered what would be her place until she could find her way home. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>In a way, the space was comforting. It held the same sparsity of an inn's room, though the furnishings were still made of extravagant and odd materials. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The extra room holding a spicket and large odd contraptions was concerning, though. Wandering though the rooms, Rheia saw a bedroom, a lounging area, a closet for hanging clothes. Clothes that she did not have. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The thought made her sigh a little. Missing her carriage with her belongings, her lover, all the comforts she took with her wherever she went.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Except now she’d gone somewhere they couldn’t follow.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Still, even with all the rooms that were honestly more than she needed, Rheia went into the small bedroom to lay down. She could at least sleep until she was needed again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As she sank into the plush mattress, her opinion of this world improved.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> Ok. This might be worth being stranded. </em> She thought as she closed her eyes in blissful comfort. <em> Abram would love this </em>. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>That was enough to counter her warming feelings for the strange world she found herself in. All the wonders, the comforts she witnessed meant much less to her without being able to share the tale of them. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Idly tracing the sigil of the Mercenary over her heart with a nail, Rheia muttered to herself as if she were speaking to her lover. Letting the translation magic stop for the first time in hours.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em> It’s been a day and a half, and it’s hardly past mid day. I’m alright, but I wish you were here. There’s so many wonders here. Horseless carriages, if you can believe it. They like metal in their furnishings. Is there a shortage of wood? The shadow has surely danced in their blood in this world. There’s so many differences to them, yet they all claim to be human.” </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Closing her eyes, Rheia tried to convince herself that her lover was laying on the bed beside her, but the cold sheets kept the truth too present.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<em> You’d probably get along with Mr. Red-glare. Aizawa. I get the feeling he doesn’t surprise easily, but then. He’d never met me before, had he? After all, I manage to keep </em> <em> you </em> <em> on your toes, don’t I?” </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Like falling through a void into another word. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>A sigh eased out from her, as she tried not to worry over what Abram was doing in Vrevell without her. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>If she knew her companion, he was probably at the end of planning out the best steps to take, to track her down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>How he’d manage that from a world away, Rheia hadn’t the foggiest clue. She was the Wanderer, she was the one who was supposed to explore new lands to let the other Human Gods have influence.</p>
<p>Well, she was certainly in a new land, as appropriate. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The idea amused her for a moment before she remembered that she was without the Wanderer’s Mantle and Cape.</p>
<p>So for the time being, she was not there as the Wanderer. Only as she had always been, Rheia DeMaren Evryali: Bard, jeweler, merchant. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Well, she had no materials or wares to do the latter two, but she needed only her voice to be the first.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Restlessly, Rheia turned onto her side on the soft bed, and dozed off to pass the time and to regain her strength. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>A sharp rapping at the front door roused her, and Rheia blinked in confusion at her surroundings before the events of the day re-surfaced. Getting up to answer the door, Rheia saw Mrs. Kayama standing at the door, a bag bursting with fabric in one hand. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Mrs. Rheia!” She said, beaming. “Since you were joining our karaoke night, I thought I’d bring a new set of clothes for you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rheia glanced down at the dress. “This isn’t a drinking dress?” She asked, bemused. Her mind was still waking up, but she was always amenable to new clothes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mrs. Kayama only shook her head, a nearly disconcerting look lighting her eyes. <br/>“Not at all, do you mind if I come in?” <br/><br/></p>
<p>Rheia stepped back, allowing the woman to enter. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It felt almost familiar to have another woman in her space, reminding Rheia of how she and the other women of the caravan would often join together to help each other dress for binding ceremonies and festivals.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That was largely what Mrs. Kayama (call me Nemuri) was doing. She helped show Rheia how to work the shower, which made Rheia nervous at first. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once she saw that the water spraying out from the spicket was warm instead of cold, she was much more enthusiastic about it. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nemuri had also brought face paints, though they were more like powders, for Rheia to utilize. It was so similar to the way Rheia had dressed and chatted with girls from her home caravan, the Storm Vipers, that it eased her anxiety over being in a strange world.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The more constants she saw between this world and hers, the more it soothed her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The outfit that Nemuri brought was verging on scandalous, even by Rheia’s more adventurous standards. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The blouse, if one could call it that, was of a thin fabric that clung to the curves of her breast, and fluttered around her waist. She appreciated the colors of it, greens so bright and vivid that Rheia would have said it was made by magic more than cloth. The slacks were tighter than Rheia would have liked. They were more like extremely thick leggings, but more restrictive. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She did have to admit that they accentuated the curve of her hips in a way that she thought very appealing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The paints and powders were extremely effective as well. Rheia had to remember some of the techniques Nemuri used to make her eyes look deeper, her lips more sensual.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It took the better part of a couple hours, during which, Nemuri had played some music of the time on a strange tiny device. Rheia assumed there had to be other mages in this world, as the sound of a full band blasted out of the small rectangular gadget.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There was one song that caught Rheia’s interest, and had Nemuri order the device to play it twice more before they finished getting ready.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nemuri looked amused at Rheia’s interest, “You should request to sing it for karaoke.” and gave Rheia the name of the song and its singer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She was getting into the spirit of the evening, and thought she might just take Nemuri’s suggestion into practice. There were some songs of her own that she could sing, but they may be as out of place as she is in this world.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And she couldn’t deny that the tempo and melody of the song were...alluring.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This 'karaoke' may prove to be just what the healer ordered.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Entertainment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rheia goes out for drinks and karaoke with the teachers.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Five</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Entertainment</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The tavern this ‘karaoke’ was to take place at was close enough to her new building that Nemuri and Rheia walked to it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia had rejected the shoes Nemuri offered to her after a short test in her new ‘apartment’. Though she was intrigued by their appealing shape and color, the heels proved much too extreme for her to wear in any sort of comfort. Let alone perform in.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her magic could compensate for many things, but twisted ankles were not one of them. She’d heal well after the twist, for certain, but it would not save her from a graceless fall before then.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Though the sun had fallen well past the horizon, the night sky was lit brightly from tall lamps and the windows of countless buildings.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Half-way to the tavern, Rheia spied a familiar shock of blond hair beside a brunette. It seemed that Ground Zero and Uravity had a similar idea of how to spend their evening.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A further surprise was the small crowd of people waiting for them at the tavern. Rheia had no clue where their destination was, but had been keeping tabs of the twists and turns they took from her building. In many ways, she was more comfortable in returning to the building on foot than by the strange horseless carriages. Not only because walking did not require the safety restraints. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ground Zero and Uravity moved past the small crowd into the tavern, so though their destination was the same, they were not inherently part of the group of colleagues. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mr. Red-Glare Aizawa, however, was part of the group. He looked around the bustling crowds around and inside the tavern with his signature tired expression. Accompanying him was not the skeletal Mr. Toshinori, but another blond. One whose hair seemed to defy all explanation...and gravity.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Introductions were made, and Rheia immediately took a liking to the flamboyant and brash personality of Hizashi.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Without too much more chatter, they all made their way into the tavern. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The moment she stepped foot inside, Rheia felt almost completely at home. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Music blasted at inhuman volumes, but a touch of magic protected her ears from ringing from it. Chatter of dozens of patrons put her at ease, as did the scent of strong and flavorful alcohol.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was a tense moment as they approached the bar, and the barkeeper asked to see I.D.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia was absolutely baffled until Mr. Red-Glare, who was bafflingly called ‘Shota’ by her companions, produced a small card on her behalf. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She only barely caught the glimpse of what was doubtlessly the finest and smallest portrait she had ever seen. A perfect likeness of her face, done in impossibly fine detail. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once that tense moment passed, they were asked to order. Hizashi gave her a broad grin and said the drinks were on him for the evening. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Falling out of the sky had done nothing to Rheia’s ability to sense a bit of harmless flirtation and sincere generosity.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What would you like, Ms. Rheia?” He asked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia couldn’t read any of their language, and didn’t recognize much of their liquors. Nothing looked similar to anything she’d have in Vrevell. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The strongest drink you have.” She said at last. “It wouldn’t hurt if it were honey-sweet either.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The barkeeper considered for a moment, then nodded. Mixing a drink of several different clear liquors from different bottles. Rheia almost thought she was having a joke played on her, when a dazzling, almost sapphire blue liquid was added. She thought the drink was done, but the last steps were a clear syrup of some kind, and a sparkling liquid that reminded her of Aquarine’s sparkling wine. Though that, too, was clear. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Rheia had no idea of the names of all that was mixed, but when the drink was handed to her, she admired the bright blue hue of the drink and took a testing sip. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The fruity flavor was sweet enough to suit her, and had quite the punch. Not as strong as her Uncle’s grog, but it came as closer than anything she’d tried before. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Excellent!” She praised the barkeep. “Three or four of these might actually get me tipsy.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hizashi laughed. “Say that once you finish it.” He ordered his own drink, which was much simpler to arrange. Rheia took a testing sniff in the direction of his drink and determined that it held half the strength of her Uncle’s Grog, and none of the appealing flavor. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The group claimed a small table in the tavern, and Rheia listened more than she talked. There was so much that she didn’t understand. A short-hand of friendships that have lasted nearly a lifetime. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Though they made her feel welcome and included in the group, Rheia couldn’t help but long for her own people and her friends in Vrevell. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Just as the loneliness was sinking its hooks into her heart, Nemuri placed a hand on her arm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I put your name down to sing that song. It’s nearly your turn.” She whispered in Rheia’s ear. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Blinking in surprise, Rheia glanced up at the stage where various patrons had come up to sing into a strange device as what she assumed were the words to their song played across a glowing box.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Really? How can you tell?” She asked, confused. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Because I looked at the song that was before you, and it’s being played now.” Nemuri said, grinning impishly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A buzz of excitement tingled along Rheia’s skin, through her veins. She loved an impromptu performance. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>As Nemuri expected, the leader of the ‘karaoke’ called out, their voice amplified by the strange device, “Rheia, come on up!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hizashi and Nemuri called out encouragement as Rheia made her way to the small stage. On her way, she spied Uravity and Ground Zero in a corner of the tavern. They appeared to be in an intimate discussion, though it was paused when her name had been called out. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Uravity glanced around. When she saw Rheia climb up on the stage, she also called out in excitement. Though the tavern was too noisy for Rheia to make out the words.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia took the strange device, then set it aside.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She wouldn’t need any amplification from their wonders.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t take long for the beginning notes of the song to play. Though the words doubtlessly played across the glowing box, Rheia couldn’t read them. Nor did she especially need them. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A memory for songs, even on short acquaintance, was one of her greatest strengths. Well honed since she had been at her mother’s knee.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Using the beat of the music to guide her movements, Rheia swayed her tightly clad hips in sync and started her song perfectly on queue.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So hot</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Out the box</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Can we pick up the pace?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Turn it up,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Heat it up</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I need to be entertained</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Push the limit</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Are you with it?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Baby, don't be afraid</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I'm a hurt 'ya real good, baby”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The lyrics were evocative, with an undercurrent that appealed to Rheia. Though the singer had been male, she transposed the scale as second nature to suit her voice.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Practiced as a performer, she scanned the crowd, meeting gazes just long enough to entice a glimpse of fantasy.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The song continued, through to the chorus that she felt resonate with her very core. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, do you know what you got into?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Can you handle what I'm 'bout to do?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cause it's about to get rough for you</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I'm here for your entertainment</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You thought an angel swept you off your feet</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well I'm about to turn up the heat</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I'm here for your entertainment”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As had become a habit in recent years, when she got into the song, she couldn’t help but let her fangs show. Grinning through her song, the long viper fangs glinted in the stagelight. Thankfully, the patrons were so varied themselves, that it didn’t raise more than an eyebrow.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Into the song fully, Rheia added some more elaborate dance moves. Graceful hand gestures, a quick step and kick of her heel, spin and spin again. Drinking in the attention and awe of the crowd like the finest wine.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Coming down to the end of the song, Rheia let her magic tap into the music just enough to take the feeling of the crowd into herself. Feeding it back just enough to give the last lines of the song an extra punch. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet (bet ya thought)</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You thought an angel swept you off your feet</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well I'm about to turn up the heat (turn up the heat)</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I'm here for your entertainment.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The last note hung in the air for a few pulsing moments before the applause and cheers of the patrons swept through the tavern. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The leader of the karaoke called out her name once more, but even with his magical amplification device, his voice was lost in the crowd’s roar. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia gave a dramatic bow that was half-way to a curtsey, and grinned all the way back to her table of companions. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hizashi was a fount of questions and praise, and the next hour was spent talking the ins and outs of music and the performing thereof.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Unconsciously, Rheia had started tracing the sigil of the Mercenary on the tabletop as she chatted.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Uravity and Ground Zero came by the table, it was to a warm greeting from Rheia. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, Mrs. Rheia, you were amazing! I didn’t know that you could sing so well!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia bowed her head in the mock modesty that she practiced so well. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span> the greatest bard in all of Vrevell. Don’t let anyone tell you different.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ground Zero snorted out a laugh, but he nodded in unspoken appreciation as the two left.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia watched their departure with interest, seeing the way Uravity held onto the boy’s hand as she led him out of the tavern. It gave her a bittersweet pang to see the easy motions of young love. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Possibly more bitter than sweet as she longed for her own love, and made a mental note to re-create this ‘karaoke’ experience for him once she was back home.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In a different outfit, though. Rheia mused over the thought, her eyes shining with an intimate sort of mischief. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Penny for your thoughts?” Shota asked. He had kept up with her drink for drink, and had relaxed the exhausted guard that was so second-nature.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His company was much more enjoyable this way, she considered. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh no. It’d take a diamond to bribe me of these thoughts.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hizashi had been chatting with Nemuri over some band or singer, but tuned in at her comment. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh? There’s a look in your eye, Mrs. Bard. You’re not thinking about music.” He said, his mouth slanting into a knowing smile.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“On the contrary, I was thinking about music. And performing. And….”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nemuri finished the thought for her. “A lover?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The drinks, though not as strong as grog, had relaxed her. Though it had taken seven of them, not three.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“A lover.” Rheia confirmed, a purr in her voice as she considered Abram’s reaction to her choice of songs. The heat in his eyes at the outfit...or lack one, that she planned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>It would make a...</span>
  <em>
    <span>thrilling </span>
  </em>
  <span>homecoming celebration.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nemuri edged closer to Rheia in interest. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Tell us.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Again, Rheia’s hand unconsciously traced the sign of the Mercenary on the tabletop, and she conjured the image of her lover in her mind’s eye.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s a strong man. A warrior. A Mercenary. Eyes like steel, and hair like a raven’s. Hands…” She trailed off, a cat-coy grin playing over her lips. “Hands skilled at </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything</span>
  </em>
  <span> they do.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nemuri gave a lusty laugh, and commented “You sound like a lucky woman.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia only hummed an agreement. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“He’s infuriatingly good at holding his drink. The only man I’ve ever lost to. Neither of us are suited to marriage or sedentary life, but I can count on him more than the dawn.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then she sighed, “He is what makes Vrevell my home.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nemuri read the forlorn longing in Rheia’s eyes, and rubbed a hand over her shoulder comfortingly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Their bill came, and Hizashi only paled a few shades when he saw the total. Rheia didn’t understand exactly how their currency worked, but she did recognize numbers, and the one on the slip of parchment was considerable. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Another odd card of some sort was given, then returned. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Rheia didn’t understand this, either. The card had no mark to show payment taken. And yet, the establishment seemed satisfied with the transaction. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The group made their way back to the apartment building, Rheia was the steadiest of the lot, but even she swayed a little on her feet. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Parting at the door, Rheia made her way back up the three sets of stairs with the slow concentration of a merchant counting out payment. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Reaching her floor, it took her a moment to remember what number meant her door, and finally found the correct one. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Turning the key in the lock, she made a swaying journey to the bedroom, untying and wiggling out of the new clothes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even with her nap from earlier, she was exhausted. Falling onto the bed and curling the warm blankets around her, Rheia tried to sleep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Despite her exhaustion, sleep refused to envelope her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Taking to the comforting pattern of tracing the Sigil of the Mercenary over her skin, Rheia closed her eyes. Murmuring sweet nothings to a lover an entire world away. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Distortions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rheia starts with a nightmare that puts a twist on her thinking for the day...things only get worse from there.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Six</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Distortions</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Rheia struggled to breathe, gasping in air as the glossy chains constricted around her throat. Arms locked in the same grasp, she could hardly move an inch.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>
      <br/>
    </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>
      <br/>
    </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Still, she writhed and bucked, trying to break the chain’s hold over her.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>There was no Cruel Lord hovering over her this time, and somehow it was worse. Somehow worse to have the chains act with no controller. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Colder than any serpent’s scales, the links of chain slithered over her skin, leaving ice cold burns in their wake.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>Where did you go, my child?</b>
  <span>” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <em>
    <span>A voice as cold and distant as starlight whispered. Not from within her mind, but in the far distance. As if it was, indeed, coming from the stars above.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>More voices joined the Formless One, the father of creation, and Rheia knew them all. From dreams, and from her journeys into the divine spaces. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>Where did you go, little singer?</b>
  <span>” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Came the voice of Cloud Cutter, the Goddess of air and feathered creatures. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>Where did you go, insolent one?</b>
  <span>” </span>
  <em>
    <span>That was the booming, terrifying voice of the Deep Lord, God of Water and finned creatures. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>More and more Gods chimed in there questions, adding their pleas. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>Come back, Daughter of My Daughters.</b>
  <span>” </span>
  <em>
    <span>That was the calm, commanding tone of the Mother Serpent. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>Your duties are not complete.</b>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘I </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> to come back!’ Rheia screamed in her mind, the words locked in her throat by the tightening chains. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>Where are your steps, little dancer?</b>
  <span>” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Called the Mountain King with his thousand voices. Rheia thrashed all the harder. These were her Gods. She wanted to answer them, to reach out and touch the power they infused into the world, into her. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>Come back to us, wandering spark.</b>
  <span>” </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Flame of Life coaxed, their voice caught between furious growl and blooming patience.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>With every thrash, the chains tightened, Rheia could feel them almost cutting into her skin.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The longing to return to the world where those voices shaped the foundation of existence burned through her soul. She almost wished the fire were real, so it could melt the chains away.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>But the voice that broke her heart into a thousand shards of ice, was one she’d last heard in a teasing banter. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Rheia!”</span>
  <em>
    <span> Abram called out for her, and she wanted to answer more than she wanted the next gulp of air.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It was as if the chains were pulling her into deep water, except the Deep Lord couldn’t find her. Being buried under miles and miles of earth, save that the Mountain King couldn’t feel her.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Like her heart was screaming out with every ounce of power in her soul.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Except Abram couldn’t reach her.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The chains choking out the last bit of air in her lungs making her heart pound, pound, </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>pound</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> in defiance until it was all she heard.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia jolted awake, tears burning the back of her throat. Her heart was still pounding, but it wasn’t the thundering sound that had woken her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>No, that would be the unmistakable sound of a fist pounding on her door.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Getting up from the bed, Rheia staggered through the small series of rooms until she swung the door open.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She had a moment to look into furious red eyes before the hero turned around sharply. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Don’t just open up the door like that!” He snarled out, keeping his voice down as much as he could. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia blinked, and glanced down at herself. She hadn’t bothered to grab any articles of clothing or the blanket from the bed, so she was currently left in a breast-band and loincloth.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Though it didn’t bother her, it apparently bothered the blond-haired hero greatly. Rheia closed the door most of the way, leaning against it so she could talk around it’s edge. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you want?” Rheia asked, the magic needed to translate their words coming on instinct now after a day of near constant translation.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You were making the halls shake. Not a sound, but things were going...weird.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia didn’t entirely understand what he meant, but she had no doubt that he was telling the truth. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I...have dreams sometimes.” She said, shifting her weight nervously.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He looked at her for a moment, then made a short comment before turning back towards the end of the hall. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Don’t we all.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was a jarring enough comment that Rheia watched him until he entered through a doorway...three doors down and on the left. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Turning away, Rheia closed the door and went back to her bed. Tracing the sigil of her lover over her palm with her thumbnail. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>If only she had a silver coin to offer...maybe he’d be able to come to her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The thought was rueful, but as it sank in, Rheia froze in mid-step. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe it would work. Her magic still worked, after all. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>If she called him, maybe he could bring her home.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She dashed halfway back to the door before she remembered the blond hero’s discomfort in seeing her unclothed. Sprinting back to the bedroom, she grabbed whatever articles of clothing were closest to hand. Struggling with the unfamiliar clasps of the new clothes, Rheia secured them enough that she considered herself mostly decent. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then she practically flew through the door of her apartment, down the hall to the door that was three spaces away. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was her turn to hammer frantically at the door. Her heart matching its speed as hope bloomed with bladed petals in her chest.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The door jerked open to show both of the young heroes, their hair tousled from sleep, and Ground Zero scowling fiercely at her. Though Uravity’s brow furrowed in concern. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Mrs. Rheia, are you alright?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her magic buzzed with her excitement, making her translation magic jump and jumble slightly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Talon… coin. Need? Silver. Need silver. Have?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Before Uravity could question her, Ground Zero snapped out. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Slow down! You’re talking nonsense.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia had to blink for a moment before she understood. Taking a deep breath, she tried again.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I need a silver coin. Do you have any?” She asked, looking between the two heros. Rheia held her breath as they glanced at each other. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Finally Uravity shrugged. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Yeah, sure. I’ve got some loose change.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The young woman stepped back and gestured for Rheia to enter the apartment. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She did so, almost trembling with excitement. With hope. Could the answer for her going home really be that simple?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Uravity wandered deeper into the apartment, hunting for the small bowl in which she kept change and the odds and ends that ended up in her pocket at the end of each day. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Bakugou, where did you put--? Ah, here it is.” Uravity called out. The new name she used jostled Rheia’s memory. She remembered vaguely the murmurs of acknowledgement the pair of heroes had exchanged with Nemuri and her group of colleagues. Not their ‘hero’ names but, ‘Uraraka’ and ‘Bakugou’. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Seconds later, Uraraka was hurrying back. Her bare feet padding softly on the carpeted floor. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Will this do?” She asked, holding out a small silver-colored coin. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Rheia gave a sickly sort of grin. “I’m hoping so.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Taking the small coin, Rheia didn’t bother moving more than a few steps inside the apartment. Kneeling down on the floor, she put the coin down in front of her and traced the sigil. A nearly perfect square, the bottom line arching up to the center before rejoining the final corner. From the center of the arc, one last line speared straight up to connect to the roof of the square. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I call you, Kyarae, with an offer. Retrieve me back to our world. Bring me back to Vrevell.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t bother translating this prayer, but knelt before the coin, and waited. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Skin shivering in anticipation, she waited, yearning to feel the magnetic attraction that warned her when her lover was near.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Seconds ticked by with her dancing heartbeat. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And she waited.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Bakugou shifted idly where he stood.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Did it work?” He asked, confused.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia hadn’t moved. Staring at the coin as the  bloom of hope in her heart withered. Slicing her insides to ribbons as it shrank.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It never took this long for him to appear. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Rheia whispered, tears shimmering at the edges of her vision. “No, it didn’t.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Like a puppet severed from its strings, her shoulders slumped as she nearly collapsed to the floor. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The only way now was to try to find the yellow-eyed mist person. Someone she had a feeling was adept at keeping himself scarce and out of the notice of just about everyone. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Uraraka was hovering over her, babbling in concern. The dying bloom of hope must have had nightlope venom on its petals, as Rheia found her heart numb and her limbs unresponsive.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Finally Bakugou walked over, and grabbed her shoulder to try to shake some life into her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oi, get up. We should all go back to bed.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Uraraka scolded him, but Rheia didn’t listen. Just let the words wash over her as she moved limply back to her apartment. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Despite all, her fingers still traced the sigil over her skin. Over and over again, until Rheia was back in the comfortable bed she wished dearly she was sharing.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>For all she knew, they continued tracing the sign in her sleep. If for nothing else than a guard against further night terrors.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When the morning came, Rheia heard chatter and footsteps outside the apartment door. She planned to laze in the plush bed all day, but only got as far as an hour into a morose doze before someone rapped sharply at her door.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At first she waited, hoping they might go away. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then the knock came again, more insistently. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Still, Rheia waited. Lost in the defeat of a magic that had never failed her, she wallowed in the certainty that she would never go home. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, whoever the knocker was, stopped knocking. A small thread of satisfaction wound its way through Rheia’s mind before her door opened.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Confusion made her stir slightly. Hadn’t she locked the door? She nearly always locked her doors behind her out of habit from living on the road.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Aizawa walked slowly to the threshold of the bedroom and looked in at her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Uravity and Ground Zero reported that there was some trouble last night, early this morning.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia stayed curled in the nest of blankets she’d made in the overly large bed. She’d tossed and turned through the morning hours. When she dozed, she could forget she was not in her wagon, and reached in search for the body that should be stretched out beside her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And never was.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Care to tell me about it?” He asked, never leaving from the threshold.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia only continued to stare, as the frozen gears of her mind slowly began to turn. Did she want to talk about it? Not really. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Still, the way he said the Uraraka and Bakugou had ‘reported’ about the occurrences told her that she probably should</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sitting up, she noted that he didn’t turn away as Bakugou did, but neither did his gaze stray from her face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rubbing her hands over her face and neck, Rheia finally nodded. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Only then did Aizawa enter, pulling over a chair that had been set next to the window. Sitting down, he waited for her to start the report.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t have the energy to tell the story like a bard. Instead, Rheia recited the incidents like a soldier, giving the facts in quick, short bursts.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“After I arrived home, I went to bed. For some part of the night, I dreamed. It was a disturbing dream, and I apparently caused the halls to shake. I do not recall any actions that would have caused this, but I have had nightmares in the past that caused my power to overflow.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Aizawa nodded, his black eyes never leaving her face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia took a deep breath, and continued her report. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“After Ground Zero woke me from the nightmare, we had a short conversation. I began to go back to bed, when I thought of a possible way I might be able to go back to Vrevell.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Aizawa nodded. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“You needed a silver coin.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia nodded, a quick jerk of her chin so unnaturally stiff, she thought she heard her bones creak.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“An offering. It doesn’t work without an offering. Silver works better than copper, and I didn’t think anyone would have gold laying about.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Aizawa nodded again. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“It didn’t work.” He said, his tone flat and matter-of-fact. It caused a shiver to run through her body. Like the current of a river beneath its frozen surface. Just before the ice breaks in the first thaw.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It didn’t.” She whispered, her throat suddenly bone dry. More than her free-fall into this world, she felt the earth fall away beneath her. She was floating above this world, but still far away from her own. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Why did you think it would?” Aizawa asked. The blunt question actually got her to flinch. It did sound foolish in this world.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>But, really, in a place where carriages could move without horses and glass could cover a building, why would this be any more fantastic?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Because it always worked.” Rheia whispered. “It always worked before. An offering and a call, and he would come.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her fingers were the only things moving throughout her report. Constantly tracing the sign of the Mercenary over her skin. In a buried hope that maybe, just maybe, one of these times it would work. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Who would come?” Aizawa asked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Except for her hands, Rheia held herself perfectly still. Like crystal so fragile that any movement would shatter it into pieces. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The Mercenary. If you have the coin and call for him, he will come to hear terms. He may not take the job, but he always hears the terms.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A tear managed to escape, tracking a hot trail down her cheek. “But he didn’t. He can’t. If he could, we would have come. But he didn’t, so he can’t.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Silence stretched out for ages, Rheia staring blankly at nothing while Aizawa continued to watch her face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve no path to follow here, and no way home.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Aizawa stared at her for a few moments longer before he said, “You let us worry about that. In the meantime, get dressed.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia blinked, both at the statement and the order. “Why?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Because you can’t stay here and wallow. Not if your mental stability can so easily… overflow.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It nearly made her bristle, but the fight had left her. Like the long stretches of time in Fellowin’s dungeon. She couldn’t keep up the struggle constantly. Far too much time had been spent staring into the utter darkness, only barely aware through the flutter of her eyelids whether her eyes were open or not.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She’d fought so hard, through the nightmare, and then the bloom of hope, to go home. Her mind told her she needed to rest. Probably for the next century. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Aizawa stared at her, but she didn’t move. When he finally got impatient, he repeated the order. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Get up, get dressed.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was just enough steel in his voice that roused Rheia’s streak of insolence. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“And if I don’t want to?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The dark eyes narrowed, but they did not glow red. At this point, he had a hunch that cutting off communication would only push her deeper into her reclusive state. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know that you have much choice in the matter.” He said, choosing the exact words that jabbed Rheia into her most stubborn mindset.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I disagree. I always have a choice.” Her fingers traced the sigil along the skin of her arms over and over. It was hard to tell if she was using that as a distraction from the conversation, or vice versa.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Aizawa got up from his chair. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I’ll wait outside the door. You have five minutes to get dressed, or you’ll go into Head Quarters as you are.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The challenge was given, and Rheia couldn’t resist reacting to it. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“We’ll see about that.” She said, the dull look in her eyes giving way to a faint glint of stubborn pride.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When he leaves the room, Rheia stays in bed for another minute, stewing. The choice she always had when faced with what seemed like an inevitable outcome; ‘how far could she push it?’. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Options tumbled through her head for another minute. She didn’t doubt that he meant what he said about the time frame. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, she made her decision, and got up to dress. Taking exactly the remaining time to make her point. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At the five minute mark, Aizawa came back into the room.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Alright, we’re going. Come--” His words cut off as he caught sight of her. She had moved from the bed, which was an improvement. Though it still appeared that she was in mid-dress. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The dress she’d worn the day before was tied in a different fashion for today. A looping knot holding the fabric wrapped around her chest, letting the remaining fabric flutter down her back.  While the snug pants Nemuri had brought her last night somehow rode even lower than they had before. It was a shaky step away from getting her arrested for indecency.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh!” Rheia said, a flush of embarrassment rising over her face. The iridescent scales didn’t take the coloration as well, so the effect was a little mottled. “I’m not-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He hesitated, it wouldn’t strictly be decent to make her leave in that state. Still, Aizawa couldn’t back down from his challenge. “Too bad, you’re going as is.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A flicker of annoyance passed over her face, almost too quick to notice. Then she sighed in resignation. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Alright, fine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aizawa nodded, and turned to lead the way towards the door. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once his back was to her, Rheia’s lips curved in a small smile. She hadn’t found the edge yet...but she would.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Finding it might keep her occupied enough while they tried to find a way to send her home.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia’s appearance at Head Quarters was, if possible, even more of an uproar today than it had been yesterday. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Was it vanity that made her relish the turned heads and stares? Probably, but Rheia enjoyed her vanity. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Walking a few steps behind Aizawa, Rheia judged that he was just slightly shorter than Abram. She used to hold a small grudge against those so obviously taller than herself, but she’d been letting that go over the last few years. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t their fault they were tall any more than it was her fault that her stature stopped at 5’4”... in her sandals. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Granted, the shoes did not give much in additional height, but it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They went through the maze of Head Quarters and exited out the back of the building. Behind it was a small courtyard, with three other buildings surrounding it to make a square. Aizawa led Rheia over to the left side building. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“We have some interns training with the newer Heroes of the agencies in this area. You’ll be joining them after…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The small shift in his tone caught her attention. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“After…?” She repeated, pressing the question. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“After you’re checked over by our medic. It’s obvious that you’re very powerful, but we don’t understand you or it. That’s a problem.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>A chill ran over Rheia’s skin that had nothing to do with being so exposed to the open air. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That might be a problem, indeed.” Rheia murmured, her heart beating an anxious tattoo against her ribs as she tried to shove back unpleasant memories. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She’d be fine. She’d gone to the healer a couple times since Fellowin. She’d be fine. Really…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her nails dug into the skin of her arm, tracing and retracing the sigil of the Mercenary as a small attempt at comfort.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This was going to be a challenge for her, and no one was going to be happy about it.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Bakugou was just finishing a training session with Uraraka, gulping down half of a bottle of water as he mulled over the progress they’ve made. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’d just decided to add a few more drills in their ‘flight combos’, as she called them, to their next session’s routine when their former teacher and current part-time boss suddenly appeared at the door of the break room.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Get Uraraka and go to the Survival Training gym.” The order was given, the teacher’s usually exhausted to the point of apathetic tone several degrees harsher than normal. “There’s trouble.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raising an eyebrow, Bakugou was about to voice a demanding question before years of learning to be something of a team player made him bite it back. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Teach wouldn’t be inclined for a long explanation, and any he’d get would be best given on the way to the scene. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Getting up from his seat, Bakugou went to the door of the women’s locker room and cracked it open. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Oi, Cheeks! Hurry up and get out here. We’re needed at the Survival gym.” He barked the order over the shrieks of protest from within. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Erasure Head didn’t have time to give a disapproving look before Uraraka was rushing from the locker room.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I was almost done anyway.” She muttered to her partner, as she looked to Aizawa in question.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“On the way.” He said shortly, and led them towards the exit. The building in question was the back most building in the Head Quarters square. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was a scaled-down version of the USJ, focusing on replicating the terrain found just outside the city.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On the short walk, the pair of new heroes questioned Erasure Head, and learned that the issue had to do with their most recent rescue. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I can’t be sure what set her off, but…” Aizawa said, and opened the door to the building. “I can’t do much about it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The small forest of trees inside the building rose nearly a story high. While there were clear areas in front of the doors, and rocky ‘cliffs’ in other areas, it did not take long to pinpoint the trouble. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A soundless ripple of vibration was tossing the boughs of trees to and fro, but the drop-in from another world was nowhere to be seen.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We can’t get more than ten feet into the forest.” Aizawa said, frustration growing clearer and clearer in his voice. “We’re fairly certain she’s in the trees somewhere, but she’s hidden well.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t need to elaborate more. Both of the young heroes knew of the limitation of their former teacher’s quirk. If he couldn’t see the target, he couldn’t cancel their quirk. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Bakugou spared a glance towards his partner, then jogged forward towards the tossing trees. When the air started to feel… off, he swung back a fist and blasted an explosion into the weird force. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The explosion went off as normal, but the fire and smoke distorted in front of him. Like watching water flow down glass. Within seconds, there was no evidence of his explosion at all, and he wasn’t a step closer into the forest than before.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Falling back, he met Uraraka to plan. While it might be better for them to rest before attempting their ‘flight’ combos, it looked like it might be their best option.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia sat in the crook of a tree, arms locked tight around her knees as she tried desperately to let the scent of the small forest around her block out everything else.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She’d tried, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> tried to keep her composure through the medical exam. It wasn’t a process she’d overly enjoyed in her world, even before her upheaval with Fellowin. After that, well, it was fortunate that she was a divinely fast healer. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It had been a struggle just to see a caravan’s resident herbalist to replenish her store of conception-preventing medicine.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The healer was a very sweet old woman, and she’d been very kind in guiding Rheia through the exam. Though she despised needles, the woman had drawn the blood she needed so gently she hadn’t felt the prick in the slightest.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But the </span>
  <em>
    <span>smell</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Rheia hadn’t been able to relax at all. The entire room reeked with the undercurrent of whatever herbal wash they used for sterilization. It wasn’t the exact same smell as the lemongrass and pine that Fellowin’s servants had used, but they had the same astringent burn to the senses. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then the instruments had felt ice-cold to her overly-primed system, and that had been the end of it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She’d started to shake, and the air trembled with her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Fearing the imminent loss of control and fearing for the kindly medic, Rheia had bolted. Seeking the most remote and calming location she could find. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was pure luck that she’d gone straight across the courtyard into the survival gym. The wonder of having a forest inside a building didn’t even register.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The flat leaves of the trees were nothing like the sharp needles pines that surrounded the northern city Fellowin had ruled. It was the perfect contrast to the memories that currently had locked themselves around her senses.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The sensation of the dream-chains locked themselves around her, while she relived some of the worst days she’d spent in Fellowin’s secret study. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Chains locked her to the iron table, shackles at her throat, wrists, ankles. Even a chain across her stomach to keep her secure. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Unable to raise her head more than a fraction of an inch, Rheia shivered violently in her restraints. The thin paper strips, with runes written in a specially spelled ink, radiated cold as if they were windows to the highest peaks of the Northern Mountains. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The chains rattled as she shivered, her body trying vainly to generate enough heat to keep her alive. Her fingers and toes had long since gone numb. Now, hours later, her arms up to the shoulder had joined them. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Her legs had yet to lose their sensation, despite a rune-paper being pressed directly along the thick vein of her upper thighs. It made it feel like the blood pumping inside her had turned to ice. She would have likened it to a thawed mountain stream, but there was no promise of warmth to the flow. No hint of spring in the air gasping from between her blue-tinged lips.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Fellowin entered the room, as he did at the strike of every hour during his wretched tests. Pressing an instrument to her skin that, by some curse of the Gods, felt even colder than the rune-papers. Pressing to the crook of her elbow, her bare chest above her heart, the sluggish pulse at her throat.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He’d muttered to himself, gave her praise on her strength and resilience to the cold. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>If she’d </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>had</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> strength, she would have spat in his face. Even though all the spit in her mouth felt like it had turned to frost.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Fellowin finished updating his notes, scratching whatever reading the instrument had given him onto the parchment. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>
      <br/>
    </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>
      <br/>
    </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Then he took out a bottle of cleaning solution and wet a rag. The sharp scent of the liquid filled the room as he used the rag to clean the instrument before stowing it away for the next hour before he left again.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>
      <br/>
    </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>
      <br/>
    </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>The astringent scent of the liquid hung in the air, burning her nose as her flesh slowly turned white as snow, and just as cold. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She was dying, she knew it. Despite his praises, Rheia could feel the cold runes slowing her heartbeat. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Her eyes locked on the flickering candle flames. She couldn’t muster the energy to shift her gaze elsewhere. Her lungs taking longer and longer to suck in air, push it out. The shivers slowed as her body gave more and more ground to the cold.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Whoever said that dying of hypothermia was peaceful was full of shit. Maybe the slow drift into the afterlife was better than other options. Maybe so. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>
      <br/>
    </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>
      <br/>
    </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>It didn’t mean that she didn’t fight that drift just as hard. After all, this wasn’t the first time she’d fallen into the black abyss of Death. To find herself walking the Silver Streams towards the Deep Lord’s Hall of Justice. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Knowing now that she wouldn’t make the journey before her body healed enough to call her soul back to it. To face the next of Fellowin’s heinous tests. For a result she could only conjure in her nightmares.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rheia almost felt like slipping into that black abyss again, though the air was warm and the bark of the tree pressed against her back, her skin had gone white and she shivered in time with the memory.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So lost in the memory, she barely heard the twisted voice shout from above her. </span>
  <span></span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then the odd sensation like a waterfall slamming into a sudden dam. Only realizing how much her magic had been spilling out from her once it was sealed within her skin. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jolted out of the frozen reverie, Rheia twitched out of her curled and clenched position. Losing her perch in the tree, Rheia slipped from the bough and plummeted like a hailstone to the artificial forest floor below.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Distractions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Seven</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Distractions</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>They discovered after Bakugou’s attempt of blasting into the oddly distorted air, that if they touched it by accident, a drastic side-effect took place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>While discussing options, Uraraka flailed out a hand and accidentally smacked it into the rippling wall of force. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was then that her eyes had gone glassy, her face went white as snow, and she nearly collapsed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bakugou was quick in dragging her from the edge of the distortions. As soon as she was away from it, her color began to return. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s get this dealt with quickly.” Aizawa said, an expression in his eyes that said he knew what Uraraka had experienced. Of course, he would have tested the distortion before fetching them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The plan came together quickly after that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Between Uraraka’s zero gravity, and Bakugou’s explosions, the pair of young heroes were able to bring their former teacher along with them over the treetops. From above, it was easier to tell where the disturbance was coming from. They still could not go closer than twenty feet from the tops of the trees without meeting that impenetrable wave of vibrations.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Watching below carefully, they finally spotted the curled figure of their drop-in guest at the top of a tall oak. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There!” Uraraka cried out, and Aizawa wasted no time in cancelling the power. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The result was a violent twitch from their guest, and she slid from the tree branch. Plummeting to the floor below. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sound of crashing branches heralded Rheia’s progress down to the floor, and the trio of Heroes landed nearby only moments later.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Used to rescues, Uraraka darted forward, ready to check vital signs and for any major injuries. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The woman’s shoulder popped out at an odd angle, a dislocation for sure. To her credit, Rheia did not groan in pain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aizawa kept his erasing glare on her as he approached. When Rheia started to get to her feet, he watched wearily. Finally he blinked, waiting for the distortion to return. It did not, the flashback seemed to be done with her, for now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re injured, we need to call Recovery--”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“NO!” Rheia interrupted, the fog in her brain clearing enough to avoid another memory flash as she had just escaped. “I’m fine, I just…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She grimaced as she gripped her arm above the elbow. Hissing in a deep breath, she popped the joint back into place. In the minute afterwards, Uraraka could see the swelling around the joint fade away entirely. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia relaxed then, and rolled the healed shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t be in her office. I just can’t.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Uraraka and Aizawa shared a glance. The girl hesitated for a moment, then reached out for the woman’s hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I understand.” She said, quietly. “It was the smell, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia flinched, her fingers linked together as her thumbs traced over her palms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It brought it back. The memory. So strong, so clear. I knew it wouldn’t be safe for the healer, I had to leave.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia glanced up to the branches of the tree. “I always liked climbing trees. It clears my head. I hoped it would help. It did, at first. Then…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She shivered, her skin still astonishingly pale, the iridescent scales showing the only color in their tinge of blues, greens and purples. It looked like a wash of oil over snow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t want anyone else to see, to feel.” She said, rubbing a hand over her side, her arm, where the rune-papers had been plastered to her skin years ago. Shifting to press her fingers between her eyes as if to ward off a headache, she slowly stopped shivering.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All my safeguards are in my own world. I have to start from scratch here, and I don’t even know if you have what I need.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fears that had been gnawing at the back of her mind finally spewed forth. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I’m in the wrong fucking world! Nothing here was meant for someone like me. We can’t even speak to each other without my magic in play.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Quirk.” Aizawa said, his brow furrowed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia shook her head. “What will it take for you to get it?” She wondered, exasperated. Perhaps it was easier to recognize the alien world when you fall into it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually.” The high, thin voice of the medic chirped from behind them. “Neither of you are entirely wrong.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The group turned and looked at Recovery Girl, who held a couple pages of paper in her hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This young lady does not have a quirk. Not of any type that we’ve ever seen before.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aizawa looked at the paper in the healer’s hands. “What’s that?” He asked, though Rheia suspected he already knew. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Her blood report.” The older woman said, then turned her gaze to Rheia.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Our on-site lab almost had to call out to another for confirmation. According to this,” She waved the report. “You’re not human. Or, only barely.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia looked at the papers curiously. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Of course I’m not.” She said, wonder creeping into her voice. “You were able to read that from my blood?” It sounded like the blood-scrying that Mami Agneta once spoke of. A lost art that no one else had the skill for. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bakugou was quick to pick up on one particular thread of the conversation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course you’re not--? What the hell else could you be than human?” He demanded. Rheia glanced at him distractedly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m Tomarbin, Humans are common in Vrevell, and we resemble them very closely. Tomarbin are partially human, if truth be told.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Still distracted by the thought that someone, </span>
  <em>
    <span>several</span>
  </em>
  <span> someones by the way the Healer had worded it, had the skill to scry blood, Rheia whispered conspiratorially to the blond hero.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To be honest, Humans don’t believe that Tomarbin are an entirely separate race either. But we are.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aizawa called her attention to him more fully, as he looked over the report that the Healer had handed over to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then what is a Tomarbin?” He asked, his brow furrowed in concentration over the report.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia paused for a moment before responding. Taking the time to find the right words, even though her magic would ensure they were translated as truthfully as possible between the two languages.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Part...Gorgon.” She said at a last.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The conversation exploded from there. Bakugou was entirely disbelieving, while Aizawa seemed to struggle between cynicism and the facts of the report that Recovery Girl had given him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There were markers of humanity in her, at least they could agree on that. Her DNA appeared to be more than half… other. They could not fully call it reptilian, but they had no qualification for what it actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>was.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Rheia began to grow annoyed at the circular discussion, Uraraka offered to take her into the forest to walk around for a bit. To relieve some tension.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d rather spar.” Rheia grumbled. Abram had spent a full year after they ascended convincing Rheia that daily practice and training would serve her well in her Wandering.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She’d been stubborn at first, but he had a way of bribing...</span>
  <em>
    <span>convincing</span>
  </em>
  <span> her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The mental image of one such bribe...</span>
  <em>
    <span>incentive</span>
  </em>
  <span>, popped into her head. It was sufficiently distracting to be certain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The feel of his hands on her hips, the sight of him slowly lowering himself to his knees before her. His breath ghosting over her skin, his eyes locked on hers before brushing his lips over…</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oi!” Bakugou’s voice cut into the memory, jolting her abruptly back to the present. “You want to spar? I’ll take you on.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The pleasant memory shattered around her, Rheia found herself edgy and dissatisfied for an entirely </span>
  <em>
    <span>different</span>
  </em>
  <span> reason. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck yes, let’s spar.” Rheia agreed, irritation ripe in her voice. Bakugou seemed to psyche himself up for the batter as well, until Aizawa chimed in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No quirks...or power,” He said, a concession to what she’d tried to tell him during her interrogation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bakugou looked disappointed. “What? Why not?!” He thundered at the former educator. Rheia watched the argument with impatient curiosity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We don’t know the extent of her...power. You don’t want to go in uninformed, do you?” He asked Bakugou. “Or have her go easy on you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That got a snort from Rheia. She wouldn’t go easy on him. She’d make sure not to </span>
  <em>
    <span>kill</span>
  </em>
  <span> him, but that was just common courtesy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d only break him a little.” She muttered, mostly joking. Her words were soft enough that Aizawa didn’t hear her, but Bakugou and Uraraka did.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl looked at Rheia with astonishment. After she recognized the joke, the gravity hero had to bite her lip to hold back a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bakugou, meanwhile, was staring her down like he dearly wished to challenge her statement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>I can take anything you could possibly throw at me, young sir.’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>Rheia thought. ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Bigger things than you have tried to keep me down.’</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aizawa was still talking, though, and Rheia tuned back in at his last statement. “We’ll want to see what her powers can do, but later.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The idea made her stomach clench with nerves. It sounded a little too much like her ordeal with Fellowin. Uraraka caught her eye again, giving her an encouraging look. It bolstered her nerves a little.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally, Bakugou seemed to accept the restriction Aizawa gave him. Turning back to Rheia, he snarled out his challenge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So we're going to do this or what?” He demanded, and Rheia nodded, rolling her shoulders. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I’m ready to start whenever you are,” She glanced at Aizawa. “Any restrictions on where?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aizawa shrugged. “We have a gym next door, but this location is also viable.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At that, Rheia started to stretch, wanting to work out her frustrations in, well, not the </span>
  <em>
    <span>most</span>
  </em>
  <span> satisfying way. The second most satisfying way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Stretching her arms one at a time, she listed all her frustrations just to make them easier to purge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wanted to go home.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Next, she stretched her legs, pulling her heel up behind her back to ensure the muscles loosened properly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wanted Abram.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twisting her back, leaning to one side then the other, she felt herself limbering up. Ready for a performance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wanted to do her Gods damned job.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Done, she looked over at Bakugou, who had gone through an abbreviated version of her stretches. Uraraka, Aizawa and Recovery Girl had retreated, going to a section of the building that reminded Rheia of a stadium, with a bench-like structure rising in increments up the far wall.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ready as she’d ever be, Rheia slid a foot back as she widened her stance. Sparing a thought that she wished it was Abram she was sparring against. That she could go into a training that pushed her to use </span>
  <em>
    <span>all </span>
  </em>
  <span>her skills.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia nodded for Bakugou to start, and he did not disappoint, moving forward with furious precision.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Arm blocked punch, her hand sliding along his to seize the wrist.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twist, pull, throw. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The blond went sailing over her hip, rolling across the ground for a moment before he was springing back up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His movements were well practiced, but Rheia had been taught by a very efficient master. He taught her how to fight with her strengths. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dropping to the ground, Rheia avoided the kick aimed for her collarbone. Twist, and strike. Heel against the back of the knee. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bakugou grunted with pain, the knee buckling involuntarily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had a moment to relish the triumph before the back of his fist slammed into the side of her face. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing stars, she fell back, trying to buy distance while they cleared. Not that Bakugou would let up even for a moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia had been trained well over the last few years, but she was still better at staff or her magic as defense than hand to hand. Bakugou steadily landed more and more hits. Solid ones. More than once, Rheia found herself knocked back to slam against a tree. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Air rushed from her lungs, and the bruising stun should have lasted at least a second or two. Unfortunately for Bakugou, she had no control over the healing part of her magic. As her body took damage, the magic would heal it. Dipping closer and closer to the end of her reserves.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She’d landed some solid blows of her own, but Bakugou definitely did not have her inhuman recovery. Finally the deciding blow was when Bakugou managed a kick dead-center of her chest. Yet again, Rheia went tumbling back, only to be stopped by the solid trunk of a tree. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>CRUNCH</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was either some part of her spine or a small branch breaking. She really hoped it was the latter.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Enough!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bakugou stopped almost instantly, dropping down to his uninjured knee as the Healer came forward.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was quite the brawl, Miss Rheia. Are you alright?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia waited a moment, but her magic didn’t spike down her spine. Pushing off the trunk, she turned to look behind her. A young branch fell to the ground, snapped off cleanly from the trunk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine.” She said, and rolled her shoulders. Recovery Girl watched Rheia closely. Curiously, Rheia poked at her own cheek where Bakugou’s fist had connected to great effect only moments before. The ache was already fading, and she thought the bruise was nearly gone as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The result of the sparring match ended pretty much as Rheia had expected it to. She was unhurt within minutes of the match ending, but starving. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Could I get something to eat? I’m famished.” Rheia said, rubbing a hand lightly over her stomach. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bakugou, who was currently being checked over and healed by Recovery Girl, glared at her. Aside from some dirt smudges and a few small tears in her clothes, Rheia looked entirely unscathed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just what the hell kind of quirk do you have, free-fall?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia only sighed, as Recovery Girl corrected again that she didn’t have a ‘Quirk’. She really hoped she didn’t have to try to explain the intricacies of magic. She’d only started studying with the Mages college the year before, and she was still understanding how Human Magery worked. Even with such learned people, explaining how </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> magic worked had been a week-long chore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Uraraka had disappeared from view for a moment, but before Rheia could wonder where the young woman had gone, she was coming back from a doorway with some sort of package in her hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know exactly what your tastes are, but I got a snack from the cafeteria.” She said, offering the package to Rheia. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia accepted the package, and decided not to worry too much about the strange word. After inspecting the package for a moment, Uraraka showed her how to pull on the ends so that it would open. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Inside the package was some sort of bun. Curious, Rheia took a bite, to find it filled with a savory tasting meat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her hunger got the better of her, and Rheia took avaricious bites of the pastry. Even as her mouth was full, she did not intend to forget her manners. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the food returned some of her mana, Rheia called upon a small thread of it to twist the sounds around her into her own voice.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Great thanks, Uravity.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The young woman blinked in confusion for a moment. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“How--?” She asked, staring at Rheia in confusion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the last bite of pastry already, Rheia licked a crumb from the corner of her mouth appreciatively. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How what?” She asked, tilting her head in amused faux confusion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aizawa stepped forward, having spoken quietly with Bakugou.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Up for a demonstration of your ‘power’, are you?” He asked, looking between the baffled Uraraka and their temporary guest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia considered. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I need more food if I’m going to fully replenish the energy the spar took up.” She sent an almost apologetic smile to her young opponent. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I would apologize, but I don’t think there’s anything in this world that can stop the power from working inside myself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aizawa frowned at that. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“But I was able to cancel it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia tilted her head, figuring out how best to explain. This part, at least, she was fairly certain she understood.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You stopped the external use, yes. Not the internal.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The black haired man frowned, “Shall we…prove it?” He said, choosing his words carefully. Rheia appreciated it. Foolish as it might be, she hated the word ‘test’ when referring to herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Could I get another… four of those pastry things first? Then I can give a demonstration without worrying about another Flood.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aizawa raised an eyebrow, a silent request to clarify. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia’s shoulders hunched together as she explained. “The, uh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>issue</span>
  </em>
  <span> I had during the interrogation.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nodding understanding, Aizawa was about to turn to request either Bakugou or Uraraka to fetch the pastries. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll go!” Uraraka volunteered. “Bakugou needs to rest a little more.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Immediately, the blond hero called out a disgruntled “The hell I do!” before being chastened by Recovery Girl.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Looking over at her former sparring partner, Rheia saw that the bruises that had been blooming ripely purple on his arms and shoulder were already faded to a sickly yellow. When he stood up, she saw him limp ever so slightly, the knee she’d kicked must still be sore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A prick of guilt jabbed at her just beneath her heart. An urge to apologize properly came over her, but Rheia suspected that any apology made to the explosive hero would be ill met at best. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So she swallowed the bit of discomfort and waited for Uraraka to come back with the food. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then it would be time to give a little educational demonstration. Thinking about it, Rheia felt a slow smile steal over her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After all, she did love a chance to perform. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Performance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rheia gives a proper demonstration of her magic.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Eight</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Performance</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Uraraka returned with an armload of the oddly packaged pastries, it appeared that she had gathered something of a following. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Several heroes, sidekicks, and young interns had followed the young woman in from the cafeteria. Aizawa looked at the crowd, easily more than two dozen people now, and sighed. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“You can’t all be serious.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One of the heroes, standing with the confidence of an ancient pine. It was fitting, as the man had skin that reminded Rheia of weather-worn bark. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not every day that we get to see a demonstration of a non-quirk.” The man pointed out, and the crowd murmured in agreement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia felt the flutter in her stomach that performing before a crowd always gave her. The giddy little jump that was part nerves and part anticipation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aizawa was still staring at the crowd, when Rheia thought of an idea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually, it might be helpful that there are more people here.” She said, glancing over at the black haired man. “If you want a relatively full demonstration, at least.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He glanced back at her, weighing her question before answering. “What would you need?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia tapped a finger to her chin, considering. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Temperature would be helpful. Make something hot, or cold. If someone could make a great deal of noise…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a flicker of emotion in Aizawa’s dark eyes, something like resignation when a piercing voice called out. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“You want some NOISE?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hizashi made his way through the crowd, his gravity-defying hairstyle acting like a buoy amongst the waves of comrades.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia grinned, and noted the flamboyant blonde was in what she thought he considered his ‘work clothes’, a black jacket with an astonishingly tall collar, black pants and boots. Almost all was studded with...metal? There was an interesting contraption around his neck, but Rheia was far from knowledgeable enough about this world to hazard a guess what it was supposed to do.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Upon the man’s screeching question, many faces in the crowd blanched.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A cat’s smile spread over Rheia’s lips as she put two and two together. It always equaled four.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Absolutely. It would be a great help.” Rheia said, accepting the first of the pastries from Uraraka. Opening it, she bit into the impossibly soft and fluffy bread. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If that’s ok with you, Mr. Aizawa?” Her tone was nothing but innocence, but she had a feeling that the erasing hero saw right through her act.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first of the new pastries done, Rheia opened the next. They were surprisingly filling, even with the amount of mana she’d drained in healing from Bakugou’s sparring, she might be able to save one or two of the pastries until after her demonstration. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another couple heroes stepped forward, and Rheia assumed they would be able to fulfil her temperature related requests. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Feeling her energy sufficiently replenished, Rheia set the last two pastries aside, unopened. Aizawa looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Nodding, Rheia stepped back into a clear area of the artificial forest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her ‘audience’ went back to the stadium seats, ready to watch the show.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia nodded towards Hizashi. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whenever you're ready, give me your loudest noise.” Rheia told him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crowd behind them preemptively covered their ears, knowing more than Rheia did just how loud Hizashi’s voice could be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia just stood in the clearing, feeling more relaxed after her sparring session, and now about to finish her ‘workout’ with a full exercise of her magic.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hizashi took a deep breath, and with no other warning, screamed out “YEAH!”. The shock-wave of his voice dug into the earth, flattening grass and shaking the trees. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia took a deep breath of her own, calling up her magic. Holding out her hand, she waited for the instant the shock-wave reached her skin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hooking her magic into the sound’s vibrations, she stilled them. Turning the ear-splitting scream utterly silent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The green tint to her eyes brightened as she sent that stilling silence back along the shock-wave. All the way to Hizashi’s lips.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He paused, baffled. Rheia gestured for him to try again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His lips moved, but no sound escaped his lips. There was applause from the seats several yards away.  Using Hizashi as her focal point, Rheia let her magic ripple out from him. Silencing the area as it went until it reached the audience. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hands still clapped, mouths still moved as if to give shouts of encouragement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All fell silent under Rheia’s magic. Stilling the vibrations until the roar of blood through her veins sounded like a spring river.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she saw Uraraka shift uncomfortably next to the seats, she let the silence fall. The green tint dimming back to its ‘baseline’ for the translation spell. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hizashi looked a little put off. “Well, you can make things quiet, but how about--?” He started to ask. Rheia held a hand up to him again to signal him to be silent. Rather than use her magic again for the purpose. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Instead, she raised her other arm, and pointed a finger across the clearing, perpendicular to the seats. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Singling out a tree, Rheia snapped her finger. This time amplifying the noise into a shockwave, cracking like thunder. Sharpening it until the vibration cut like a sword. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tree she singled out shuddered once. Then it began to topple, as if felled by a single swing of an axe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Murmurs of surprise rippled through the small audience.  Rheia could feel the beginning of re-wakened hunger start to gnaw at her stomach.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Still, she could go a little longer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does anyone have a piece of metal I could use?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Someone tossed a small bolt towards her. The Djli would weep with envy if they could see the quality of the steel this world had at its disposal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taking the bolt, Rheia set it on the ground. Calling up her magic once more, from a faint buzz to a murmuring swarm, she listened closely for the hidden vibration of the metal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finding it, Rheia flooded it with energy, exciting the vibration until the bolt turned red hot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Backing off, Rheia cut her magic off from the bolt, and let it slowly cool.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is my favorite skill.” She told Hizashi. He quirked an eyebrow at her, a grin playing around his lips like a marble rolling along the edges of a bowl. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no specific song in mind, so Rheia merely started to vocalize. Letting her voice rise and fall through the musical scale as her whim took her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the music, though, she put her thrill of performing. As the song and magic spread, it sparked matching thrills in the audience. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Feeling the last spark of the audience respond to the music, Rheia started to take in the excitement from them. Causing a feedback loop, feeding off the excitement of the crowd and turning it back to them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Excitement turned to joy, as Rheia revelled in the tuneless music and the magic that flowed through it. At the very back of the thrill was the slightest hint of bittersweet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even in the midst of doing what she enjoyed most, Rheia couldn’t help but long for her own world. Before she could stop it, the bittersweet longing was flooding the feedback loop. Tears sprang to her eyes seconds before her audience followed suit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cutting off the magic like a red-hot blade through a cord, Rheia took a deep breath. She hadn’t meant to let the emotions stray so far. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Stepping to one side, she fetched one of her remaining pastries. Unwrapping it, she took a large bite as she watched for a reaction. The ‘audience’ in the seats were silent, most of them dabbing a sleeve or handkerchief at the corner of their eyes. Rheia looked to where Aizawa still stood, his expression almost identical to his normal exhausted presence. Save for the sheen of tears that were being slowly blinked away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you done?” He asked her, watching her finish off the third pastry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia considered, she’d run through most of her demonstrable skills, but maybe she could finish off with the biggest crowd-pleaser she ever had in Vrevell.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Last trick.” She said, and stuffed the last bite of the pastry into her mouth. Taking a moment to swallow, Rheia walked back to the center of her ‘stage’. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The green tint to her eyes turned into an eerie glow as she called up the newly replenished magic in her blood. Feeling it buzz and tingle through her fingertips, down into her toes, seep into her lungs and fill her throat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She started to hum, a jumpy tune of the song that came from the depths of the Age of Shadows. When her world had been swamped in the chaos of war. When the Outer Races had cemented their bonds in blood and violence to hold the line of their territories.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A time when the Gold-Eyed Plains could have fallen to the plow and the sword, if not for the blood-pact that her kind had made with the other two inhabiting races of her homeland. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia decided to drop her translation and let the words roll out in her native tongue. As she sang, she started to dance. Letting her movements guide her magic into crafting music from nothing. Normally she had her ‘sound-maker’ device to assist her, but that was back in her wagon. Along with all her other belongings. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>It took more magic this way, but was not impossible.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gellon endisin man kin'puget, gelled endisin man kin'seyal</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gelled endisin man kin'beld ta man kin'diuka'al.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gre, Gre, Tanal'ebarj tomar equame'man?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sha tanal'tomar endisin man, manal seyj allover tenwarnd.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cilomenalj an mosuc, an talessor, nidan sward manals'tomarj</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Manals'tomarj tillo manals kin'lonewstanaljver tenwarned.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She could see the words confused her audience, but the music conjured from magic and movement were hypnotizing them and herself. The roll of drums followed her hips, while the blare of trumpets and horns kicked with each turn of ankle and knee. Flutes and strings rose, fell, and blended with everything else as her arms carved elegant patterns through the air.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gellon endisin man kin'puget, gelled endisin man kin'seyal</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gelled endisin man kin'beld ta man kin'diuka'al.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gre, Gre, tanal'ebarj tomar equame'man?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sha tanal'tomar endisin man, manal seyj allover tenwarned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cilomenalj an ligal, an ebiter, nidan slan manals'tomarj</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Manals'tomarj tillo manals kin'lonewstanalver tenwarned.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The marching beat, softened by the melody, still made her heart swell with pride. This was the song crafted to bring the three races of the plains together. To keep them united in spirit against the roiling chaos that threatened to spill across their precious homes. While the song had began as a rally song, a warsong, it was now more like a march. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gellon endisin man kin'puget, gelled endisin man kin'seyal</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gelled endisin manals kin'beld ta manals kin'diuka'al.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nilhans, Nilhas, Nilhals ebaral allo</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nifalimal tillo mounsin cardukal.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Atdisin tan'seyal manals kin'farir, kin'sken, kin'salces</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nifalimal kin'beldver gelled fan tensicdi ebaral par allo'retors.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the song ended, Rheia decided to do something she rarely would during a performance. She decided to repeat the song, and let it be translated. After all, maybe it would help her connect to these people, claiming to be one race, but appearing so entirely varied from another.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Flinging her arms wide to let the dying notes surge once more, Rheia called up the extra magic needed to translate her words to what her audience could understand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gold in the pocket, gold in the eye</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gold in my blood till the day I die</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hey, hey, won’t you walk with me?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Walk with me, and the world we’ll see</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a song and a story and a sword we’ll go</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Off we’ll go till the world we know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The translation caused the beat to be slightly different, but she didn’t mind. It was a small shift, and she was the composer and performer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gold in the pocket, gold in the eye</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gold in my blood till the day I die</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hey, hey won’t you walk with me?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Walk with me and the world we’ll see</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a laugh and a light and a lance we’ll go</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Off we’ll go till the world we know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The pride in her homeland swelled anew, and she let it infect the audience again. Picking up on their feelings of awe and appreciation of her song, her dance, and twined the feelings together. Feeding one with the other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gold in our pockets, gold in our eyes</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gold in our blood till the day we die</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nilha, Nilhal, Nilhan are all</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gold-blood kin till mountains fall</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fur and scale and skin you see</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gold-blood kin from the Six are we.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Using the twined hook into her audience, Rheia fed one last thread of magic into it. As she bowed at the end of the song, she pictured crowds behind her. Forming in time with their mention in the song. The tan, cat-like figures of the Fistas’Rawet first. Followed by the squat, muscled and reptilian forms of the Bin’Retor. Between them, ghostly forms so much like herself. Human, but not. All three races gazing out with gold-tinted eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the ghosts in her mind bowed with her, she heard the low gasp rise from the audience in front of her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Though the images were only in their minds, it would meld with what they saw so cleanly that most would swear the crowd were as real as their own bodies.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Letting the magic ebb away to the small flow that kept the translation spell active, Rheia rose from her bow and went to devour the final pastry. As the sharp pangs of hunger clawed at her stomach, she considered that perhaps she had overdone on the last trick.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The applause that erupted from the crowd fed her almost as effectively as the pastry. Oh, if only she could live off of applause alone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The thought crossed her mind with fond nostalgia. Then she shook her head. On second thought, that would be considerably more trouble than it was worth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia scanned over the audience, and saw most were murmuring to one or another as they slowly trickled back out of the large enclosure. Even Bakugou and Uraraka left. At least the gravity-hero waved cheerful farewell as she left. Bakugou only shot her a look that promised a much harsher sparring match at the next opportunity.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It nearly made her smile. She’d give a good fight, for certain, but Abram would leave him in the dust in seconds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her smile faltered as the thought of her lover conjured a longing so sharp she almost raised her hand to her heart to find the dagger that surely had lodged just under her breastbone. Stopping the motion half-way through, Rheia forced her arm to lower again as casually as she could, brushing a hand over the fabric at her hips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only she, Aizawa and Hizashi remained in the clearing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The screaming blonde looked at her over his odd spectacles. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“That was quite the show. Not even I can sing and imitate instruments at the same time.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Rheia couldn’t help but smirk at the comment. It was no imitation, but the explanation she’d worked out along with the scholars of vrevell was too complicated to explain. Even she did not fully understand all of the explanation, and she </span>
  <em>
    <span>lived</span>
  </em>
  <span> it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was a decent overview, at least. Going through </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> my tricks would take,” she paused as she calculated. From her persuasion tricks to the various levels of blood-magic Mami Agneta had taught her, to all the interesting things she had figured out using the secret vibrations within things, her tricks were quite numerous. “Weeks.” She finally said. “And I wouldn’t want to give away all my secrets, anyway. What kind of performer ruins the magic?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aizawa snorted out something that could be considered a laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like an interesting kind of hero.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Again, that word. She accepted it as a title in this world, but it still grated when she heard it applied to her. It reminded her of the aftermath of Morgan’s little ritual. How her fellow captives had crushed her to them in a fierce hug and called her their hero. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not a hero.” She said, an echo of a bitter memory. Heroes helped people because their morals called them to do it. As the ‘right’ thing to do. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia was keenly aware of her own selfish motives. She hadn’t come to the rescue of the captives she’d assumed were dead long before her own re-capture. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Had kept them from the Deep Lord’s judgement out of spiteful pride almost more than out of compassion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even though her actions had helped save the world from falling into unimaginable chaos, she still worried over that night. Knowing that the four others lived with memories to equal her own. Nightmares to haunt them, wake them screaming with phantom chains holding them down and the echoes of agony wracking their bodies. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The silver streams could have wiped those memories from their souls, left them clean. If they had been anywhere else but Morgan’s lair. A place where any soul crossed would have no option to return, not even the bliss of the streams to soothe their souls in preparation for the Deep Lord’s judgement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One could argue the benefits of her actions, and she often did. Even so, she could not deny that the base motive of her strength that night had not been from anything morally righteous.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rheia was, at her core, a selfish creature. Hardly the image of a shining hero of lore.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aizawa was about to speak, his mouth opening for what she assumed would be another falsely apathetic verbal jab. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was interrupted by a prolonged growl from Rheia’s stomach. The last pastry hadn’t been enough to satisfy the loss of energy from her performance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry.” She said, smiling weakly in mild embarrassment. “Where did Uraraka get those pastries?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two older heroes glanced at each other before Hizashi grinned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t we escort you over to the cafeteria? I could use a bite myself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their actions decided, Rheia followed closely between them as they left the indoor forest for one of the other buildings. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Glimpsing the open sky above and hearing the muffled sounds of crowds and traffic beyond the tall buildings, Rheia wondered if she could find a way to be allowed to explore the city. Her performance with karaoke and the small audience today had whetted her appetite, in more ways than one. Hearing the low rumble of so many voices just on the other side of the square of buildings that made up the HeadQuarters reminded her of how delicious her performances in the Cities had been during the seasonal festivals.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So many hearts to sway with words, so many minds to give that drop of magic back when she twined her magic with theirs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How big of a crowd would it take for those drops to bring back more magic than she spent? Could she actually glut herself on applause?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The questions rooted at the back of her mind, just beneath the longing for her own world, and specific people within it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Exploring the city around her would be an excellent distraction, wouldn’t it? Possibly even sate her urge to move on to new areas.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Knowing her usual time-frame for getting itchy with staying in one location, Rheia predicted she could handle another week or so before the itch would become unbearable.</span>
</p>
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